


Denial

by RedPandaPrincess



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-11 08:44:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 22,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13520691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedPandaPrincess/pseuds/RedPandaPrincess
Summary: Still in her first year aboard Voyager, Seven of Nine is rediscovering aspects of her humanity. And Captain Janeway is in denial about some of her own.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know I'm still writing Under a Red Sky but by now yall should know i'm a little ADD when it comes to writing. This was just BEGGING to be written so pleeease enjoy and let me know what you think!

**_ “I'm your Captain. That means I can't always be your friend.” _ **

~

Kathryn Janeway sat at her desk in her Ready Room, skimming the latest report from Astrometrics. But really, she wasn't thinking about the report. She was thinking about her blonde Astrometrics officer who, from what she could tell, had been avoiding her for the last 2 weeks. Ever since their encounter with Arturis, an alien who had tried to have them assimilated, Seven had canceled six Velocity matches. She'd even taken to emailing her reports, rather than bringing them in by hand. Very unlike her.

They'd had a Velocity match the day after the incident with Arturis. Kathryn thought back on the match. Nothing unusual had happened. She'd won, as usual. Hell, they hadn't even argued like they had taken to doing recently. Kathryn thought the incident with Arturis, the conversation they had in the brig, had cleared up the bad blood between them. Evidently it had not.

“Well, Katie, let's deal with it head on. Figure out what's going on,” she said aloud, then tapped her combadge. “Captain Janeway to Seven of Nine.”

There was a brief silence, then -

“Yes, Captain?” Seven asked and Kathryn smiled briefly, glad to hear her voice.

“I need to speak with you in my Ready Room.”

Another brief silence. Hesitation?

“Can it wait, Captain? I am...preoccupied in Astrometrics.”

“Now, Seven. That's an order,” she said firmly. 

“...Yes Captain. I'm on my way.”

Kathryn drummed her fingers on her desk as she waited, thinking. The entire conversation with Seven in the brig replayed in her mind. Nothing stood out. Nothing that would make Seven avoid her. She recalled touching Seven's face as she had adjusted her cranial implant. She was aware it was the first time she had touched her since holding her while she cried 9 months ago, when she'd first come aboard.

The door chime rang and Kathryn looked up.

“Come in,” she called and stood up when Seven walked in. “Hello, Seven.”

“Captain. Was there a problem with my Astrometrics report?” Seven asked, standing at attention, hands clasped behind her back.

“No, Seven, your report was fine.”

To be honest, she couldn't remember but she assumed it was fine. Her reports were always fine. Kathryn walked around her desk to stand before her.

“I want to know why you've been avoiding me, Seven,” Kathryn said, hands on her hips.

Seven gazed evenly back at her but Kathryn swore she saw her ocular implant twitch slightly.

“I have not been avoiding you. Captain.”

Definitely a twitch.

“You're a bad liar, Seven of Nine. Six canceled Velocity matches and you skipped yesterday's staff meeting. What's going on with you?” Kathryn asked, softening her voice. Sometimes the former drone required a gentler approach.

For the first time Kathryn could recall, Seven looked away.

“I have been busy in Astrometrics and also working on the slipstream drive modifications.”

“And the staff meeting?”

“There was a...power fluctuation in Engineering which required my attention.”

“Seven,” she sighed. “I thought we'd gotten past all this fighting.”

“I am not fighting, Captain. I am...”

“Avoiding?”

“Busy,” Seven said stoically.

“Why won't you talk to me? I thought we were friends, Seven?” Kathryn said, putting a hand on her elbow. Seven pulled away, taking a step back.

“I do not wish to be your friend,” she said dispassionately.

Kathryn couldn't stop the hurt that shot through her like a bolt of lightning. She worked to keep her face clear, trying to draw on her command training, but-

“Seven...why?” she asked, hating that she couldn't keep the wounded tone from her voice.

Seven looked up at her, an angry look in her blue eyes. Then she grabbed her and kissed her. The kiss was forceful, scorching. At first, Kathryn kissed back, not thinking. When she realized what was happened, she wrenched herself from Seven's grasp and back away, bumping into her desk.

“That is why we cannot be friends,” Seven said coolly, then turned and stalked from the room without waiting to be dismissed.

“Shit,” Kathryn said weakly, leaning back against the desk for support. She touched her lips with her fingertips, still feeling a tingle of electricity.

She stumbled over to the couch and collapsed, her knees weak.

_ What was THAT? What the  HELL  was that? Seven just kissed me! Seven of Nine, former Borg drone just  kissed  me. And it felt – Oh my God. _

She touched her lips again.

_ No. I'm not attracted to her. I can't be. Just too many years alone. And Seven.  _ Seven!  _ She's so young, new to humanity. ...It only makes sense she'd have to discover her sexuality eventually and, so, what? She's developed a crush on me. It's not the first time in the history of Starfleet something like this has happened. But how to deal with it? This isn't any crew member, this is Seven... _

“Captain?”

Kathryn looked up to see Chakotay standing before her, holding a stack of Padds.

“Chakotay. I didn't hear you come in,” she said.

“You okay? Looks like you have a lot on your mind.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Anything I can help with?”

“I don't think so, Chakotay. Thank you though.”

“Problems with Seven? I saw her leave earlier.”

“How did she seem?”

“Borg-ish. Everything okay?”

“Nothing I can't handle.”  _Maybe_.  “What can I do for you, Commander?”

“Personnel reports. Wanna go over them together?”

“Sure. I could use a distraction. Coffee?”

“Love some,” he said, sitting down on the couch.


	2. Chapter 2

Kathryn decided that the best way to deal with Seven was to not deal with it. At all. She tried her best to forget the kiss and she did everything she could to avoid Seven. 

But she missed her. In the last year she'd grown used to spending time with Seven. Velocity matches, art lessons in her Da Vinci program, philosophical discussions... Seven was her friend. She missed her friend. 

It got so bad it affected her sleep. She hadn't slept all that great before but now every time she closed her eyes she felt Seven's lips on hers. After four nights of not sleeping, she felt a little crazy. She finally left her quarters at 02:00 one morning, not even bothering to put her command tunic on over her gray t-shirt. She stalked her way down to the Cargo Bay, angry and tired. 

When she saw Seven regenerating in her alcove, she paused. Remembered those lips on hers  again and felt the urge to run. 

_ What happened to avoidance? Non-confrontation? ...To hell with it. I want this settled. I want to sleep. I want my friend back...God help me, I'm lonely.  _

Kathryn walked over to the console and ended the regeneration cycle. 

“Regeneration Cycle terminated,” the computer chimed. 

Seven opened her blue eyes, focused on Kathryn, and stepped out of the alcove. 

“Captain?” she said in her haughty tone that annoyed Kathryn, but also, alarmingly, aroused her. 

“We need to talk, Seven,” she said, ignoring the heat in her lower abdomen. 

“The time to talk would have been five days ago.”

“Why did you do that?” Kathryn demanded. “Why did you...”

“Kiss you, Captain?”

“Kathryn,” she said immediately. “Call me Kathryn, if we're going to talk about this.”

“I do not want to talk about  _this_ ,  Captain,” Seven said, turning away from her. Kathryn grabbed her arm and pulled her back around to face her, one hand on her hip. 

“Why did you kiss me, Seven?” she asked. 

“Why do humans kiss other humans,  _Kathryn_? ” Seven said, her voice low. 

Kathryn swallowed, feeling a rush of heat. 

“Different reasons, I suppose, but...I think you know that.”

“I admit, I was confused at first. When these feelings arose, emotions that I previously thought were irrelevant...and now I cannot  _ look  _ at you,  _ Kathryn _ , without imagining...more.”

“More?” Kathryn repeated, her voice barely audible. 

“I imagine...kissing you. Touching you. I cannot look at you across the conference room table without imagining tearing away your  _ Starfleet  _ _uniform_ , laying you across the table, burying my fingers in your-”

“Stop,” Kathryn managed to squeak, feeling a flood of moisture between her legs. “Stop, Seven. I'm not – I'm not gay, Seven. I like men. I was engaged to be married to a man. I like _men_...And you're a member of my crew. Even if I-”

“You are so  arrogant,”  Seven said vehemently, startling her. “So  _ confident  _ that every decision you make is the right one.”

“Me?” she scoffed. “You, you're...pretentious- rude-”

“Haughty-”

“ _ Presumptuous _ -”

“Bossy-”

“Smug, snooty, stuck up-”

Seven grabbed her and closed the distance between them, and silenced her with a rough kiss. Kathryn let out a whimper and pushed her away. 

“I'm  not  gay,” she said insistently, refusing to let herself be intimidated, as much as she wanted to just run. “Seven, I just want things to go back to normal between us. I miss you. I miss talking to you, playing Velocity. I want things to go back to normal.”

“I want more,” Seven said simply, then walked back over to her alcove. “Goodnight, Kathryn.”

She stood there, speechless, as Seven resumed her regeneration cycle. She watched her for several minutes before turning and leaving the Cargo Bay. 

_I'm not gay_ , she told herself as she headed back to her quarters, trying desperately to ignore the fact that her panties were wet. 

_I'm not gay but she has me so wound up I can hardly stand it_ ,  she thought as she entered her quarters and shed her clothes. She stepped out of her underwear – they weren't just wet, they were soaked. 

She sighed and flopped down on her bed, pulling the quilt up over her naked body. 

“I need sleep,” she said aloud to the empty room. “I don't know how to deal with this. Oh  Seven...”

She closed her eyes and felt a single tear streak down her cheek. 


	3. Chapter 3

Kathryn tossed and turned the rest of the night away, sleeping a little but poorly. When 05:00 came and the computer announced the time, she sighed and fumbled for her combadge on the nightstand. 

“Janeway to Chakotay,” she said wearily. 

“Chakotay here. Everything okay, Captain?”

“Yes. No. Maybe... I didn't get much sleep, I think I may be coming down with something-”

“Should I send the Doctor?” he asked worriedly. 

“ _ No _ . No, I'll be fine, I just need some rest. Can you-?”

“Of course, Captain. Take the day off and get some rest. Don't worry about a thing.”

“I expect you to call me if there's anything out of the ordinary,” she said in her command tone.

“I will,” he promised. “Get some rest, Captain. Chakotay out.”

Kathryn tossed her combadge back on the nightstand and flopped back on her pillows. 

She spent the rest of the morning in bed. When she finally got up she put on her nightgown and trudged to the replicator for a coffee. She carried it to her chair and sat, drinking deeply. When the caffeine finally worked its magic on her, she began to quarrel with herself. 

The internal deliberation lasted most of the day and she seemed to be arguing herself in circles. 

_ I'm not gay...but the things she's made me feel, I can't ignore that. Is it just too many years alone or am I really attracted to her?It can't just be loneliness. 4 years, 150 crew members, countless alien species and no one has ever made me feel...this.  _

_ But I'm not gay,  _ she thought firmly, persistently.  _ I've never been gay. The way I was raised...What would Mom think if I brought a woman home? ...And what if we never make it home? Am I really going to spend the rest of my life alone? _

~

By the end of the afternoon, she'd reached a decision and was determined to stand firmly by it. She sent Seven a message on the computer, not trusting her voice just yet. After the message was sent, she took a quick sonic shower, and got dressed. She didn't bother with the full uniform, just clean underwear, pants, and a gray t-shirt. She tidied up while she waited to hear from Seven. Tossed her dirty clothes in the recycler. Made the bed. Drank more coffee. 

When an hour passed and she hadn't heard from Seven, she started to get annoyed. She checked her messages for the 15 th time and swore. 

_ Arrogant Borg_ , she thought, when the door chime rang and her heart jumped in her chest. 

“Come in,” she called, hoping her voice was steady. 

The doors opened and Seven entered, wearing her blue biosuit and an egotistic expression that made Kathryn wet...again. 

“Captain. You were not on the Bridge today,” she stated, hands behind her back. 

“I took a personal day. And please...call me Kathryn.”

“Are we going this again?” she asked, sounding bored. 

Kathryn took a step forward, hands on her hips. 

_ This is it. Do not back down. Starship captains do not back down.  _

“I want more,” she said, sticking her chin out. Seven's eyes widened slightly, then a hard look came over her face. 

“You are mocking me,” she said, her voice cold with indignation. 

“I'm not, Seven,” she said, softening her tone. “Seven...I'd be lying to myself and to you if I said I wasn't attracted to you. You're...beautiful.”

A look of uncertainty crossed Seven's face briefly, as if she wasn't sure she believed her. 

“I thought you were not gay?” she jeered and Kathryn recognized the jab for what it was – a defense mechanism. 

“You have to understand, Seven – the way I was raised...My family were always Traditionalist.”

“And now?” she asked, cocking her head. 

“Well I...I feel I owe it to myself – and to you – to acknowledge... _this_.”

“This,” Seven repeated. 

“Whatever this is between us. If you want to...romance me...I'd be open to the idea.” 

_ Did I really just say that?  _ She thought with a groan. 

“Is that all?”

“And...I miss you. That's it. That's all I've got.”

Seven quirked her ocular implant and seemed to consider her words. After a minute she stepped forward, closing the distance between them. 

“I am unpracticed in what you call romance,” Seven said, and kissed her. 

The kiss was just as forceful, just as confident as the first two. Kathryn trembled slightly but pushed aside her anxieties and parted her lips. Seven responded eagerly and when her tongue slipped into Kathryn's mouth the captain felt her toes literally curl. She felt helpless as Seven slowly possessed her mouth. Felt her hands move to her waist. Her knees almost buckled when she felt Seven's hands slip beneath her t-shirt. The cool metal of the Borg implant on her heated skin reminded Kathryn of just who it was making her come unglued. 

She wanted to stop, to take a breath, think things through, but she also didn't want to stop kissing her. Ever. Afraid that if she did, Seven might melt away like some sort of cruel ghost sent to torture her. 

So instead she kept kissing her. She moved her hands to Seven's face then slid them into her hair. It was soft like spun silk and she pulled it from the severe twist to run her fingers through it. 

She was still aware of Seven's hands on her skin, caressing her stomach, inching her way upwards. Finally her hands came in contact with Kathryn's breasts and this time her knees did buckle. Seven grasped her hips to keep her from falling, letting the kiss break. Kathryn gasped for breath, her brain buzzing but it was far from unpleasant. She had her hands around Seven's neck to keep from falling, though she knew, on some level, Seven would never let her fall. 

She pulled herself up Seven's lithe body to kiss her, wanting that delicious mouth on hers again. Then Seven did something wholly unexpected – she lifted her up and carried her towards the bedroom. 

_ Presumptuous_ , Kathryn thought, somewhat affronted. 

“Wait,” she said, squirming to get free but Seven held her tightly. But she did stop, and looked down at Kathryn with lustful eyes.  That look in  those eyes and Kathryn was lost.

“Kathryn?” Seven said, quirking her ocular implant. “Why wait?”

“I don't remember,” she whispered, wrapping her legs around Seven's waist rather than struggle to get down. She didn't want to get down. Seven carried her into the bedroom, kissed her, and put her down with a surprising gentleness. 

“Remove your clothes,” Seven said and although Kathryn felt herself grow wet at the command, she was not one to take orders, even in the bedroom. 

“You first,” Kathryn said cockily. 

Seven gave her a smug look and reached for the clasp of her biosuit.


	4. Chapter 4

They lay on the bed together, lips and hands everywhere. Kissing, touching, caressing. Kathryn's touch was a little uncertain, a little hesitant, but she was committed. Seven's touch was more deliberate, more skillful, but when Kathryn began to kiss her large soft breasts, Seven's hands on her went slack. And her mouth closed gently over her nipple, Seven's hands fell limply to her sides as her  back arched off the bed and she made a guttural sound Kathryn had never heard from her before. 

She enjoyed the feeling of Seven's soft skin beneath her and she  really  enjoyed the way her breath caught in her chest when she flicked her tongue over her stiff nipple. With her mouth still on her heaving chest, Kathryn trailed her head down Seven's stomach, skimming over the cool metal of an implant, to cup her slick sex. 

“W-wait,” Seven whimpered. Her voice was soft, like a frightened child, and Kathryn immediately withdrew from her, alarmed. 

“I'm sorry,” she said immediately when she realized Seven was shaking, her face paler than usual. “I'm sorry, Seven. I thought-”

“Do not apologize,” she said, her voice back to normal, if a little distant. “I studied, did research, but I was unprepared for the...stimulus. It is overwhelming. Too much sensory input for my cortical node to process. I need a moment.”

“Of course, Seven, of course. God, I'm sorry,” she said, feeling like a monster. “We rushed into this and I- I...God, I wasn't expecting this. Not at all. You're so young, so new to-”

“Kathryn. Stop talking,” Seven said, closing her eyes. 

Kathryn fell silent but she couldn't stop her mind from racing. 

_ This was a mistake. A giant, stupid mistake. I should have said no, should have insisted we wait. I thought we would...date. Talk. This all happened so fast.  _

Kathryn sat up, pulling the quilt over her body. She looked at Seven who lay flat as a board, eyes closed, completely still as she tried to make sense of things. She was gorgeous with her hair down, but Kathryn was overwhelmed with guilt. 

“...Do you want to put your biosuit back on, would that help?” Kathryn asked after a moment. 

“No,” she said briskly. “Silence.”

She fell quiet again and just watched Seven. She was still naked, her breathing now even and steady. She considered covering her with the blanket, but didn't want to overstimulate her. 

Eventually, Seven opened her eyes and rolled onto her side. She began to kiss Kathryn, caressing the swell of her breast. 

“Stop, Seven, stop. We shouldn't – you don't have to-”

Seven silenced her with a kiss. It lacked none of the passion of the other kisses. Kathryn wondered, vaguely, how she'd gotten so good at kissing. 

Seven's hand moved skillfully over her breast as she moved her lips to her jaw, kissing along her jawline, moving down her neck. She sucked hard at her pulse point, nipped at the straining tendons. Kathryn whimpered as her arousal resurfaced, but her mind was still racing. 

“Seven, I'm not sure-”

“I _am_ sure,” Seven said, putting her free hand over Kathryn's mouth. “I am certain. I was unprepared for my body's response but that does not change my desire to do this.”

She lowered her mouth to Kathryn's breast and Kathryn moaned against the mesh-covered palm still covering her mouth. Seven teased her nipple, sending a surge of heat straight to Kathryn's clit. She didn't like having her mouth covered, however, so she licked the palm of Seven's hand. She could taste the salt of her skin, tinged with metal. Intrigued, she repeated the action, until Seven's teeth closed on her nipple – just hard enough to be painful. She withdrew her tongue and Seven released her nipple. 

“Do not do that again,” Seven said warningly. “I will remove my hand if you cease your protests, lay back, and enjoy the benefits of my...research. I promise you will enjoy this.”

Kathryn didn't respond, so Seven kissed her again. It was a brief kiss but Kathryn was panting when she pulled away. 

_ I want this,  _ Kathryn realized with a shudder.  _ My body wants this. This woman, her touch, this pleasure... _

Seven gazed down at her, that smug look still on her beautiful face. Kathryn felt Seven's breasts brush her own. Their nipples grazed each other. It sent a jolt through her and apparently through Seven,  who jerked back. She recovered quickly and lowered her mouth to Kathryn's breast. 

She teased her nipples skillfully, first one, then the other, until Kathryn was squirming beneath her. She began to kiss her way down Kathryn's stomach, kissed her bellybutton. Slowly, she led a trail of open-mouthed kisses straight down. When she reached the spot where her pubic hair started, she nuzzled the coarse auburn curls with her nose, inhaling deeply. Kathryn sighed shakily, feeling a mix of apprehension and desire. She found herself reaching for Seven, wanting to ground herself somehow, but Seven jerked her head up. 

“Do not touch me. It is distracting.”

“Sorry,” Kathryn whispered, letting her hands fall. When Seven lowered her mouth and pressed a gentle kiss to her clitoris, Kathryn grasped the bed sheets and arched her hips. 

Seven placed her hands on her hips to hold her steady. She kissed and licked, exploring every part of her wet pussy. Kathryn let the feelings wash over her as Seven drove her tongue in and out. The heat of her mouth was incredible, but then Seven slid one finger inside of her. 

“Oh my-” Kathryn cried, hips bucking but Seven held her steady with her Borg hand. 

Seven moved her finger inside of her experimentally until she found Kathryn's g-spot. She pushed on it mercilessly, still licking and sucking her clit. 

Kathryn moaned loudly. This was pleasure unlike anything she had ever experienced before. She felt her orgasm building rapidly, felt herself tightening around Seven's finger. Seven felt it too and began to suck harder, gently nibbling Kathryn's clit until the first wave of orgasm came crashing down on her. 

Kathryn saw stars. Her vision went dark and she saw stars that exploded behind her eyes as waves of pleasure unlike anything she'd ever felt rolled through her. As her orgasm subsided she felt Seven still licking her gently. Her body was still twitching and Seven didn't stop the soft movements of her tongue until the twitches subsided. 

Kathryn was still gasping for breath, still reeling from her orgasm. Her mind felt disconnected from her body. When Seven moved up beside her she was looking down at her with a curious expression. 

“That did not take as long as I anticipated,” she commented idly. 

“Long time,” was all Kathryn could manage. 

“Four years?” Seven asked and Kathryn nodded. “I had not considered that. Unexpected...but pleasing. Roll over.”

Kathryn tried to obey but couldn't move. Her limbs felt like jelly. Seven rolled her over gently, then lay down behind her, putting an arm around her. That Seven wanted to cuddle surprised her and she glanced over her shoulder at her. 

“My research indicated that prolonged physical contact after copulation releases oxytocin and boosts your immune system. It also reduces stress and anxiety and lowers blood pressure,” Seven explained. “You could benefit physically and emotionally from at least 15 minutes of physical contact.”

“Cuddling, Seven. The word is cuddle,” Kathryn said with some amusement. 

“Cuddling. Yes. For 30 minutes, then I must go and regenerate.”

“Oh,” Kathryn said. “Okay.”

“...I could return later, if you desire,” Seven offered with a hint of uncertainty. 

“No, it's fine,” Kathryn assured, laying her head back down. “It's fine. Thank you.”

“For what?” Seven asked, trailing her lips along the curve of Kathryn's ear, causing a delightful shudder to go through her. 

“Everything... Your Borg ingenuity,” she said teasingly. 

“You are welcome,” Seven responded with a smirk. 

“Remind me to teach you about sarcasm,” Kathryn said as a yawn escaped her. She felt Seven kiss a spot below her ear delicately. 

She was drifting off when she felt Seven move and leave the bed. She rolled over sleepily to  watch her put her biosuit back on. She couldn't believe how badly she wanted to touch her now, but she wanted to give Seven time to process. 

“Seven?” Kathryn said softly as she turned to leave. 

Seven turned back around, quirking her ocular implant questioningly. 

“This stays between us...right?” she asked, feeling a little uneasy. 

“Yes, Kathryn,” Seven replied. “Goodnight.”

She heard the doors open and close as Seven left her quarters. She was too tired to worry about consequences. Her body was deliciously limp. She pulled the quilt over her body before she fell into a deep and restful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Kathryn woke 8 hours later feeling comfortably warm and well-rested for the first time in ages. It was the computer chiming 05:00 that woke her and she knew she had to get up. She couldn't take another day off. 

She rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom to shower. She opted for a hydro shower and as the water woke her up she recalled the details of her night with Seven. She touched her lips as the hot water sliced its way down her body, let her fingers travel the path Seven's mouth had taken along her body. She found five small bruises on her thigh, where Seven's Borg hand had held her steady. They didn't hurt in fact they brought a smile to her face. 

The smile dissipated quickly as her guilt resurfaced. Things had gotten way out of hand last night. As confident as Seven appeared and claimed to be...they needed to slow things down. 

_ I can't change what we did, I can't take that back...I'm not sure I even want to. But I can teach her a ting or two about romance. I've been her mentor in other things, why should this be different? _

 

Kathryn arrived on the Bridge at the start of the Alpha Shift with a cup of coffee in hand. She greeted her officers and sat in her chair while Chakotay delivered a report from the Gamma Shift. 

She stayed on the Bridge for a while, but her mind was elsewhere. Worried her distraction was evident, she made an excuse and retreated to her Ready Room. She spent most of the morning there, pretending to work but really thinking about what sort of date she could take Seven on. 

She had decided that dinner would be a good place to start when her door chime rang. 

“Enter,” she called, expecting Chakotay. She was surprised when Seven entered instead, a padd in hand. 

“Seven. What can I do for you?” she asked, struggling to keep her voice professional. 

_ Am I imagining things or did Seven's lips just twitch in a smile? _

“My Astrometrics report, Captain,” Seven said, handing her the padd then standing, hands behind her back, in front of Kathryn's desk. 

“Thank you, Seven. I wasn't expecting this until tomorrow.”

“Borg efficiency,” Seven quipped and Kathryn couldn't help but smile. 

“Was there something else you needed?” she asked when Seven made no move to leave. 

“Yes. Are you available this evening?”

“For what, exactly?” Kathryn inquired, planning to tell Seven they needed to slow down but also curious as to what she would say.

“I am curious to see how many orgasms you are capable of having consecutively,” Seven replied nonchalantly. 

Kathryn blanched and this time she was certain she saw Seven smile – or smirk at least. 

“How about dinner?” Kathryn asked wryly once she recovered. “We need to talk.”

Seven seemed to consider this a moment. 

“That is acceptable,” Seven agreed. “I will consume my nutritional supplement in your company and we may talk.”

“Good,” Kathryn said, pleased. “Now, I don't want any further discussion of this while we're on duty. Understand?”

“Yes, Captain.”


	6. Chapter 6

The end of her shift couldn't come quickly enough. Kathryn had spent most of the day in her Ready Room and was about to leave when Chakotay came in. 

“Got any plans this evening?” he asked in a friendly voice. She looked up sharply, trying to determine if there was something else in his tone. 

_ Does he know? Did Seven let something slip to someone? God knows gossip spreads like wildfire on this ship.  _

“Why do you ask?” she inquired, keeping her tone light.

“I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner tonight?” her said with a shrug. 

“I'd love to Chakotay, but I'll have to take a rain check. I promised Seven I'd look over some of the slipstream drive equations with her,” she said, surprised how easy the lie came. 

“You two settled your differences then?” he asked with a smile. 

“For the time being,” she said, half-joking. 

Chakotay chuckled. 

“Alright well I won't keep you. Have a good evening,” he said. 

Kathryn hurried to her quarters, trying not to look like she was rushing. She made up the bed that she'd left in disarray that morning. She took a quick sonic shower then set about finding something to wear. She was tired of her uniform. 

After some deliberation she settled on jeans and a white top that she liked the way it fit. It was sleeveless and a v-neck but not too revealing. And she always thought her ass looked good in jeans. 

When she was dressed she went out and set the table. She'd been thinking about what to make all day and had decided on a vegetable stew. She knew Seven would try to insist on only having a nutritional supplement but she wanted to try to convince her otherwise. 

The first batch came out of the replicator cold. The second batch tasted like it had a gallon of salt dumped in it. Kathryn thumped her head against the bulkhead and sighed. 

“Okay,” she said sternly to the replicator, knowing it was foolish to talk to a machine but not knowing what else to do. “Listen, I know you and I have had our problems in the past, but this is important to me. If you behave, I promise I'll never call you a glorified toaster ever again...And if you don't I'll have my girlfriend assimilate you.”

_Girlfriend_!  She thought with some alarm. _No, that's definitely not the right word. My lover? My...Seven. My Seven._

“I'll have my Seven assimilate you,” she threatened with a smile. 

Whether the replicator took her seriously or it took pity on her, the next batch of soup came out perfectly. Next, she replicated a light, fruity wine. She set the table, complete with candles. 

Kathryn puttered around the living area while she waited on Seven. She cleaned invisible specks of dust off of surfaces. She drank a glass of wine and thought about changing her outfit. 

_ Maybe a dress – no, I've never liked dresses all that much. And my ass does _ _look good in jeans, everyone's always said that_ ,  she thought, touching her hip with one hand where the bruises were. She smiled briefly, then started when the door chime rang, sloshing wine from her glass. 

“Damn,” she swore, grabbing a napkin from the table to blot the front of her blouse. “Come in.”

Seven entered the room, wearing her silver biosuit. Her piercing blue eyes surveyed the table with the candlelit dinner, then flicked to Kathryn who was still dabbing her shirt. 

“Kathryn,” she greeted, the corners of her mouth twitching in what she assumed was amusement. “Romance?”

“Hm? Oh. Yes. Come, have a seat,” Kathryn said, setting the napkin aside and pulling out a chair for Seven. 

“I like you out of uniform,” Seven said, stepping forward and kissing her. Kathryn felt her stomach drop and a heat spread through her body. 

“Sit,” she said, indicating the chair again. “Eat. Now, I know you're all 'nutritional supplements' but i want you to try this. It's vegetable soup. It's good.”

“You made this?” Seven said, sitting down at the table. 

“Yes – well the replicator did,” she answered with a smile, pouring Seven a glass of wine. She refilled her own glass and took a seat across from her. She watched as Seven took a bite of the soup, chewed, and swallowed. 

“What do you think?” Kathryn asked, taking a sip of her wine. 

“Acceptable,” Seven said, then after a moment. “Good.”

“Good,” Kathryn repeated with a smile and began to eat. After a few bites of her own meal, she took another sip of wine. “...So, how was your day?”

Seven quirked her ocular implant. 

“You intend to engage me in idle conversation?” she asked. “For what purpose?”

“People talk, Seven. It's what people do. And it's not idle. It's important. It's what people in relationships do and that's what you want...isn't it?”

Seven took another bite of soup, considering, then nodded. 

“Okay then,” Kathryn said, feeling relieved that Seven didn't just want sex. “So, Seven, how was your day?”

Kathryn drank her wine, listening as Seven recounted the events of her day. 

_ I love her voice, her clipped Borg speech,  _ Kathryn thought as she gazed fondly at Seven.  _ I wonder if she would take her hair down for me? No, don't be silly, it would be ridiculous to ask. This wine, light as it is, is getting to me.  _

“This seems an inefficient precursor to copulation,” Seven said finally. 

Kathryn choked on her wine and coughed slightly. 

“First of all, don't say copulation it's a really crude term,” she said, clearing her throat. 

“What do you prefer? Fornicate? Mate? Breed – although that may be inaccurate in this case.”

“How about 'make love'?”

“Love is a biochemical response that triggers an emotional cascade which impairs normal functioning,” Seven stated matter-of-factly. 

“Do you believe it's an inaccurate term? You told me yourself you're distracted by me. Canceling Velocity matches, skipping staff meetings. Sounds like I 'impair your functioning', doesn't it?”

Seven looked at her oddly, then she did something Kathryn had never heard her do – she laughed. Kathryn's heart quickened and she smiled broadly. The sound delighted her. Seven on the other hand looked surprised to have emit such a sound and took a quick drink of her wine. 

“You are correct, Kathryn. You impair my normal functioning,” she said, setting the glass down. 

“You're quite the charmer, aren't you, Seven of Nine?” Kathryn chuckled, putting her head on her hands as she gazed across at her. 

“Am I? That was not my intention.”

“A happy accident then,” Kathryn said, getting up to put her half-empty bowl in the recycler. Suddenly she wasn't very hungry. When she turned around, Seven was there. Kathryn opened her mouth to speak but Seven's mouth descended on hers with a hungry kiss. Her mouth tasted sweet like the wine they drank. 

Kathryn found herself up against the bulkhead suddenly with Seven's hands on her hips, holding her steady while she claimed her mouth eagerly. She was holding her up, just a few inches off the floor. 

“Mm- Seven, wait,” she said against her lips. 

“Why?” Seven said, kissing her lips. “We had dinner, we engaged in...not-irrelevant conversation. I would like to commence with my personal endeavor of supplying you with multiple orgasms.”

Kathryn felt a rush of arousal shoot through her but she tabled it determinedly. 

“I'm not done talking. I mean, we need to have a serious conversation about this, about – Seven, will you let me down?”

Seven kissed her once more, then released her gently. Kathryn took her hand and tugged her towards the couch. 

“Sit down, Seven. You sit and I talk, okay?”

“Acceptable,” Seven said, though she sounded unenthusiastic. 

“Okay. If we continue this...relationship you must understand that you  absolutely cannot  use your relationship with me as leverage to get your way. Do you understand?”

“I assume that doing so would result in the termination of our current carnal activities.”

“Exactly.”

“I do not want that.”

“Good. Secondly, I still expect you to follow my orders as a member of my crew. As much as you always have anyway. We can't let this affect our working relationship, there's still a hierarchy we must adhere to. I know it may be difficult-”

“I am Borg. I can prioritize...and adapt,” she said, giving her an intense look. 

“Right...” Kathryn said, feeling herself get lost in that look for just a moment. Then she shook her head. “Okay. Third – and this is  very  important, Seven – you cannot tell anyone about this. About us. I don't enjoy being gossiped about by my crew and I won't have them think any less of me.”

“Because you are 'bedding the Borg'?”

Kathryn stopped short. 

“What? Wait, what? Where did you hear that? Seven?” she asked, knowing there was no way she'd come up with it herself. 

“Various crew members expressed a desire to 'bed the Borg' when I first came aboard.”

“Who?” she demanded.

“You do not want to know. It is irrelevant,” Seven said dismissively. “Continue.”

“Well it's not irrelevant but we can talk about it some other time. Anyway... You can't tell anyone. I don't want them thinking I'm gay. I won't have anyone think any less of me.”

“I do not have anyone to tell, Kathryn,” Seven said. “But I do not think anyone would think less of you. This is the 24 th century. Not everyone shares your per-conceived Traditionalist notions.”

“Right. Still. Between us. Promise?”

“I promise,” Seven said quietly. 

“Okay. Now, the serious part of the evening is over. We can-”

Seven grabbed her and pulled her into her lap to kiss her. Kathryn was forced to straddle her but she found she liked the position as Seven grabbed her ass firmly. She squeezed it tightly and Kathryn let out a soft groan as a tingle surged through her. 

“Oh Seven,” she moaned as Seven moved her mouth to her neck and kissed her there. Seven pulled her harder against her, scraping her throat lightly with her teeth. 

Kathryn found her hands on Seven's breasts through her biosuit. She enjoyed the weight of them but she wanted desperately to feel more. To see and feel that soft pale skin, those small pink nipples, but knowing she couldn't. She didn't want to overwhelm her. 

“Is this okay?” Kathryn murmured, feeling Seven's nipples harden. “Touching you, it isn't overstimulating?”

“Touching me through my biosuit is acceptable,” Seven answered, then pressed a wet kiss to the hollow of her throat. Pleased, Kathryn resumed touching her. 

It was evident that Seven was more interested in touching than being touched. Her hands were  soon under the back of Kathryn's shirt, unhooking her bra. She made a frustrated noise when she found she couldn't pull it off, so she pulled it off over her head, along with her shirt. 

“Inefficient garment,” Seven growled against her throat, flinging the bra away across the room. “You should not wear it.”

“I have to – mm- I don't want everyone to be able to see my nipples.”

“I like your nipples,” Seven said, lowering her mouth to her chest. Kathryn's head fell back with a moan as Seven's mouth closed over her nipple. 

She kissed and sucked one breast, massaging the other with one hand. Seven kissed her way back up her cheek, up her neck, to her ear. 

“Come with me,” Seven murmured into her ear. 

“Where?” Kathryn said and gasped when Seven's tongue flicked her earlobe. 

“Somewhere you can be comfortable while I  _make love_ to you,” she whispered. 

“I thought comfort is irrelevant?” she teased, but then Seven stood up, lifting her up off the couch. 

Kathryn wrapped her legs around her, expecting to be carried to the bedroom but then Seven set her down on the couch. She knelt before her and unbuttoned her jeans. Kathryn lifted her hips off the couch to let Seven peel them off, along with her underwear. 

Seven wasted no time in parting Kathryn's thighs and lowering her mouth to her sex. She gave her a long lick up her slit. Kathryn's body shuddered at the contact. Seven smiled up at her, then kissed her auburn curls. She licked up and down the length of her slit. Kathryn was already wet but the feeling of Seven's hot tongue on her made her pussy ache, yearning for more. 

Finally Seven's tongue started to lick her swollen clit and Kathryn let out a cry of surprise and pleasure as an orgasm quickly overtook her. She'd never cum so quickly before. And Seven kept right on going, licking her persistently through one orgasm straight towards another. She slid one finger inside, Kathryn whimpered, arching her hips off the couch, trying to take her deeper. Seven grabbed her legs and put them on her shoulders, then resumed devouring her. This time she pushed two fingers inside of her. Kathryn knew she was going to cum again as Seven licked and sucked her skillfully. Within a minute she was moaning out another orgasm, her thighs clenched around Seven's head. 

Seven withdrew her fingers as Kathryn's orgasm subsided. She kissed her sensitive clit gently, making her jump slightly. She wrapped her arms around Kathryn's waist and kissed her stomach. 

Kathryn was still breathing too hard to speak so she just put one hand on Seven's head, stroking her hair. She slid her fingers into her blonde hair, shaking it loose from the twist, sending hairpins scattering to the floor. 

Seven looked up at her. She was so beautiful with her hair down, her blue eyes shining, and for the first time Kathryn thought she just might be in love with this woman. 

She didn't have much time to dwell on it as Seven lifted her up off the couch again. 

“Your comfort is not irrelevant, not to me,” Seven said as she carried her into the bedroom. She laid her down on the bed and leaned over her to kiss her. 

“How did you get so good at kissing?” Kathryn wondered aloud. 

“Research,” Seven answered, kissing her jaw. “And rigorous application of said research. Kathryn?”

“Hmm?” she asked as Seven kissed her throat, then her clavicle. 

“In your previous sexual encounters, what is the most number of orgasms you have had in one night?” Seven asked, lifting her head to look at her intently. 

“T-two – or three, maybe,” she said, feeling her cheeks flush. 

“I believe you are capable of more,” she said confidently, moving back down her body. 

“W-  ohh ,” she breathed a moan as Seven entered her again with two fingers. She wasn't stroking her g-spot this time but was determinedly fucking her with her fingers – going as deep as she could, moving almost all the way out, then back in again. She was building her back up rapidly and when she  finally put her mouth back to her clit and sucked it between her full lips, it brought her over the edge, again. 

“Seven!” she cried out, burying her fists in her blonde hair to push her harder against her. Seven bit her clit lightly and her orgasm intensified. She clenched her jaw to keep from screaming, just groaned low and deep as waves of seemingly endless pleasure rolled through her body. 


	7. Chapter 7

Kathryn's body was totally limp. She wasn't sure but she thought she may have blacked out for a second. When she felt Seven's tongue touch her clit, she jerked slightly. 

“Wait – minute,” she panted, her hand finding Seven's head and tugging slightly. 

Seven complied, moving up her body to kiss her. Kathryn could taste herself on her lips. 

“I've never cum like that before,” Kathryn admitted, when she could speak. 

Seven smirked and kissed her again. 

“I am not finished with you yet but you may take a moment to recuperate,” Seven said smugly. “Kathryn?”

“Hmm?”

“I think you may be gay.”

“Wh-? Seven!” she said, hitting her lightly, then laughed. “...You might be right.”

Seven smiled for real and Kathryn continued to laugh, feeling a little hysterical. Seven lay down beside her and began to trail her fingers along Kathryn's body. A pleasant shiver went through her as Seven's fingertips skimmed her stomach down to her hip. 

“You are damaged,” Seven said, surprised. 

“What?” Kathryn said, lifting her head to see Seven touching her bruised hip. “Oh, it's nothing.”

“I did this?”

“You didn't mean to. It doesn't hurt,” Kathryn assured her. 

Seven slid down her body and kissed her hip. 

“I am sorry I damaged you, Kathryn,” she murmured. 

“Don't be, it's fine. You've more than made up for it. Pleasure far outweighs the insignificant damage,” Kathryn said. 

“Pleasure,” Seven repeated, kissing her hip again, then moving to kiss the inside of her thigh. “I will spend the rest of the night bringing you pleasure. I will not damage you again.”

“All night? That's rather ambitious, don't you-” But fell silent as Seven's tongue entered her swiftly. 

Kathryn felt overly aware of the wet sounds of Seven's tongue on her sex, and a loud moaning that she didn't immediately realize was coming from her, not Seven. 

Then she felt something unusual. At first she thought it was an accident, but then, Seven didn't do anything by accident. She was stroking her with her finger, spreading the wetness from Kathryn's pussy to her tight asshole. It startled her. It felt...good, and bad, and so deliciously forbidden. 

“Seven – w – I-” she started to protest, then she groaned softly as Seven's finger slipped inside of her, just a fraction of an inch. But it was amazing. 

_ Good, so good, _ Kathryn thought, baring down on her finger slightly. Seven took the hint and slid her finger deeper inside. 

Seven kept one finger deep inside of her, letting her get used to it, while she slid two fingers back into her aching pussy. 

Kathryn was amazed that one person could give her so much pleasure, amazed that she was  _ capable  _ of feeling so much pleasure. 

“F- Seven,” she gasped, writhing in pure ecstasy. “God, Seven, Seven...”

Seven looked up at her as she continued to move her fingers inside of Kathryn. Her pale face was flushed, her blue eyes wild. She groaned softly and it was this that pushed Kathryn over the edge. 

This time when Kathryn came to she was wrapped in Seven's arms. She looked up at Seven and saw the blonde smiling down at her. 

“You – I can't believe you did that, Seven. I've never done... _ that  _ before.”

“Anal sex?” Seven said nonchalantly. 

Kathryn felt her face flush and for the second time, Seven laughed. 

“You enjoyed it,” Seven said. 

A statement not a question, but she answered anyway. 

“Yes. I did,” she admitted. 

“Then I will do it again,” Seven said, sounding pleased. 

“Wait,” Kathryn said, holding her tight to keep her from moving. “Wait, Seven. Give me time to recover, please. You're going to kill me.”

“That would be inefficient,” Seven said, kissing her, then relaxing. “You may rest, Kathryn. I am content to hold you while you sleep...for now.”

“You don't need to regenerate?” Kathryn asked concerned. 

“No. I regenerated earlier, for three hours. That is all I require, most days.”

“Oh good,” Kathryn said, allowing herself to relax and mold into Seven's embrace. She was tired now, her body exhausted, and being close to Seven was...comforting. It wasn't long before she fell into a deep, comfortable sleep. 

Kathryn woke some time later with a moan. She realized that Seven's head was between her legs and she was already on the bring of orgasm again. 

“Oh my God,” she groaned, arching her hips in encouragement. “Oh God!”

She was almost there when Seven lifted her head and looked at her sternly. 

“Do not call on your deity, Kathryn,” she said disapprovingly. “Do not scream for some celestial being, scream for me.”

“ _Please_ , Seven, please!” she begged and Seven relented, burying her face back in her pussy. “Oh –  _Seven_! ”

Kathryn screamed her name as she came, hard, then collapsed limply on the bed. 

“Roll over,” Seven said, pressing a kiss to her hip. 

“I can't,” Kathryn panted. “Can't go again.”

“Yes again. Once more,” Seven coaxed, easing her over onto her stomach. “One more, Kathryn, on your hands and knees.”

Seven guided her hips up until Kathryn was on her hands knees. Her limbs felt like jelly but she stayed upright. Seven wasted no time in getting right to what she wanted. Her mouth was on Kathryn's swollen sex, eating her, fucking her with her mouth like no one ever had. Then her tongue slid up between her ass cheeks and licked right across the opening. Kathryn let out a surprised squeak and squirmed, not sure how she felt about having her tongue there. It felt dirty and taboo, and she wasn't sure she was ready for any more surprises quite yet. 

Seven seemed to read her mind. She moved her mouth away and kissed her hip. She returned her fingers to Kathryn's dripping sex and pushed deep inside of her. 

“ Yes , Seven – right there – oh, my _Seven_...” she groaned. 

Seven wrapped her free arm around Kathryn's waist to hold her steady as she fucked her vigorously. Then she felt Seven's mouth on her lower back, kissing her then nipping her skin lightly.

A powerful orgasm ripped through Kathryn and she collapsed on the bed, no longer able to hold herself up. Seven trailed kisses up her spine to her neck but Kathryn couldn't move. Couldn't respond. Seven flicked her tongue out and licked the spot below Kathryn's ear. She traced her ear with her tongue. When Kathryn didn't move, Seven chuckled. 

“Go back to sleep, Kathryn,” she said, laying down beside her and pulling her into an embrace. 

Kathryn grunted her appreciation softly and she was asleep again. 


	8. Chapter 8

Kathryn woke groggy, alone, and sore. It wasn't a bad soreness, just the kind of soreness that came from being thoroughly pleasured. She rolled on her side with a wince and touched the mattress where Seven had been. She had a vague memory of Seven bringing her to climax once more and kissing her. She supposed Seven had left after that. 

She pulled the pillow towards her and hugged it tightly. She was almost asleep again when her combadge chirped. 

“Chakotay to the captain.”

She rolled over with a groan and found her combadge on the nightstand. She was pretty sure it had gotten left with her top in the living room, so Seven must have put it on the nightstand for her before leaving. She smiled briefly. 

“Janeway here,” she said, pressing the combadge. 

“Good morning, Captain. Just wanted to make sure you were going to join us for the staff meeting this morning?”

“What? Of course I am. What – what time is it?” she asked, rubbing her eyes. 

“It's 08:45, Captain.”

“Damn,” she swore. “I'm sorry, Chakotay. I overslept. Uh...”

“Should I postpone the meeting to 09:30, Captain?” he offered, a hint of amusement in his tone.

“Yes!Good idea, Chakotay, thank you. I'll see you shortly. Janeway out.”

Kathryn swore again as she rolled out of bed. She walked gingerly towards the living room, acutely aware of the ache between her thighs. Still she smiled as she ordered a coffee. She inhaled the aroma for a moment then took a deep drink. She sighed and carried the coffee into the bathroom. 

She wanted to take a bath, to let the hot water soak the tiredness from her bones and muscles. But there wasn't time. She drank half her coffee, then set it on the bathroom counter while she stepped into the sonic shower. 

30 minutes later Kathryn was on the Bridge with her 3 rd cup of coffee in hand. She made sure not to limp as she crossed the Bridge. She greeted Chakotay and the others on the way to the conference room. 

She sat down at the head of the table and waited for the others to arrive. She sipped her coffee and sighed softly. She closed her eyes and smiled as she recalled the nights events. She did a mental count – seven. _Seven orgasms._ _ Seven gave me seven orgasms.  _ She let out an amused snort.  _ Seven orgasms. I didn't even know that was possible.  _

“Good morning, Captain.”

Kathryn's eyes flew open as Seven entered the conference room. She wore her plum biosuit, her hair was neatly pinned, her face impassive. Looking for all intents and purposes like she hadn't fucked the captain senseless just a few hours before. 

Kathryn opened her mouth to say – what? She didn't know. And at that moment, Chakotay came in, carrying his own cup of coffee. Seven took her usual seat down the table and Chakotay sat beside Kathryn. Kathryn stared at Seven a moment longer, then allowed Chakotay to engage her in conversation. 

The rest of the senior staff filed into the conference room and got underway with their reports. They had picked up a quasar on long range scanners that Chakotay wanted to change course to chart. Kathryn nodded her agreement, barely listening. She could hardly concentrate with Seven sitting down the table. She wondered what she was thinking behind her blasé Borg expression. 

_ What's going on behind those icy blue eyes of yours? _ She wondered and suddenly those piercing blue eyes focused on her, as if she could read her mind. Kathryn felt a warmth spread though her body  and she clamped down on it before it could reach her face in the form of a blush. She looked away. 

But then Seven spoke, delivering her Astrometrics report, and Kathryn was forced to look at her. She tried not to look at her face – picturing, when she did, how Seven had looked with her hair down, eyes full of lust. 

She tried looking at her hands instead but that was no good.  _ Those  _ hands, those fingers were inside her just a few hours ago, driving her to the edge of madness, pushing her over, and bringing her back again. 

She remembered what Seven had said that night in the Cargo Bay. How she couldn't bear to sit across the conference room table without thinking about more. _'_ _ Imagining tearing away your Starfleet uniform, laying you across the table, burying my fingers in you' _

_ Fuck,  _ Kathryn thought, looking away and draining the last of her coffee. She stared into the bottom of her empty cup for several minutes, wishing it was full. Wishing she was back in bed. 

_ I can't believe I slept through my alarm,  _ she thought.  _ In all my years in Starfleet, I never overslept.  _

She realized suddenly that no one was speaking and everyone was looking at her. She hadn't heard a word anyone had said but assumed the meeting was at an end. 

“Thank you everyone. Dismissed,” she said, standing up. Everyone else stood and started to leave. Kathryn left, heading straight for her Ready Room to get a fresh cup of coffee. She wasn't all that surprised when Chakotay followed her. 

“Are you okay, Kathryn?” he asked once the doors closed behind them. “You sort of spaced-out during the meeting.”

“Was it that obvious?” she said with a grimace. “I didn't sleep well and then I overslept. First time in my career I've slept through my alarm.”

“Maybe you should see the Doctor,” he said, sounding concerned. 

“No, No. I'm fine,” she insisted. “Just need more coffee. Did I miss anything important?”

“Not really. You heard the bit about the quasar?”

“Yeah.”

“That was pretty much it. B'elanna said the engines are running a little slower than she'd like and requested we find a planet to set down on sometime soon so she can do a maintenance overhaul. I told Seven to keep an eye out for a suitable place to land.”

“Good,” she said with a nod, pretending her heart didn't beat quicker at the blonde's name. 

“Why don't you take the rest of the day off?” Chakotay suggested, concern evident on his face. “You look tired.”

“You should know better than to say that to a woman, Chakotay,” she said lightly. “I'm fine here. Let me know when we're in range of that quasar.”

“Yes, Captain.”


	9. Chapter 9

Chakotay checked on her several times throughout the day. So when her doors opened for the fifth time that day, Kathryn looked up from her work irritably to tell him to go away. Her expression cleared when she saw it was Seven. 

“Seven,” she greeted. “What can I do for you?”

“I have something for you, Captain,” she said, then leaned over and pulled a hidden hypospray out of her boot. 

“What-?”

“An analgesic to alleviate your soreness, Captain,” Seven explained, coming around the desk. “May I?”

Kathryn nodded. Seven brushed her auburn hair aside gently and pressed the hypospray to her neck. Almost immediately she felt her soreness abate. 

“Thank you, Seven. What did you tell the Doctor to get that?”

“I deactivated him and loaded the hypospray myself,” she said briskly, tucking it back into her boot. 

Kathryn chuckled softly and their eyes met. 

“What time did you leave?” Kathryn murmured and she saw a distinct softening in those cool blue eyes. 

“04:30. I tried to wake you but you were very determined to sleep,” Seven answered. 

“I slept through my alarm,” she admitted, feeling her cheeks flush. “I've never done that before.”

“I am sorry,” Seven said. 

“Don't be,” Kathryn said and meant it. “It was worth it.”

“I am pleased you think so,” Seven replied softly, then straightened up. “I must return to Astrometrics, Captain.”

“Right. Thanks again for the hypospray, Seven. I really appreciate it.”

“Yes, Captain.”

~

The rest of her shift passed slowly. The hypospray helped a lot and Kathryn was able to get some work done. When they reached the quasar, she went out onto the Bridge to observe it. 

When she finally returned to her quarters that evening, she got a glass of wine from the replicator and headed straight for the bathtub. She turned on the water as hot as she could stand it, then added eucalyptus and lavender oil. She set her glass of wine and her combadge on the side of the tub while the tub filled with water. She stripped out of her uniform, wincing slightly as she did. The hypospray had long worn off and her soreness had returned. Finally she was able to slide into the water with an appreciative moan. 

She almost an hour into a good, long soak when she heard the distant chime of her door. She sighed and slid further under the water. 

“Computer, who's at the door?” she asked, her mouth right above the water. 

“Seven of Nine is outside the captain's quarters,” the computer chimed and Kathryn sat up slightly. 

“Janeway to Seven of Nine,” she said, tapping her combadge. 

“Seven here, Captain.”

“You can come in, Seven. I'm in the bath.”

A minute passed and Seven appeared in the bathroom door. She quirked her ocular implant and took in the sight of Kathryn in the tub. Kathryn relaxed back into the water, unbothered by Seven's gaze. 

“I brought you another hypospray,” Seven said finally, approaching the tub. “I was concerned your soreness would impede your ability to sleep.”

“That's very sweet of you, Seven,” Kathryn said, moving to the edge of the tub to let Seven press the hypospray to her neck. “Thank you, darling.”

Seven looked momentarily surprised, then she smiled a small smile. She hesitated a moment, then sat at the edge of the tub. Kathryn smiled and picked up her wine glass to take a sip and settled back in the water. 

“Would you like to join me in the bath?” Kathryn purred, curious as to what Seven would say. 

“I think not,” the Borg said, her eyes traveling the length of Kathryn's submerged figure. “...How was your day, Kathryn?”

“Really?” she chuckled. 

“Yes. It is important,” Seven replied. “You said so yourself.”

“I did. My day was...long. Boring except for the quasar and the staff meeting. I...couldn't concentrate during the staff meeting. I barely heard anyone's reports.”

“What was the...source of your distraction?” Seven asked, tilting her head. 

_ Is she flirting?  _ Kathryn thought, amused.  _ Or is it unintentional? _

“You were,” Kathryn answered coyly. “I couldn't help but picture you, how you looked last night with your hair down...”

“Like this?” Seven said, unpinning her hair and letting it tumble around her shoulders. 

“Yes,” Kathryn said breathlessly. She moved to the edge of the tub and Seven lowered her head for a kiss. 

It was a brief kiss. Kathryn knew it couldn't turn into more. Her body needed a break. Seven knew it too. 

“Have you consumed dinner yet, Kathryn?” Seven inquired. 

“No, I was too tired,” she admitted. 

“...Would you like to consume a nutritional supplement with me?”

“Um...what does it taste like?” she asked uncertainly. 

“You will like it,” Seven assured her. “I can prepare it and bring it to you here.”

“No, I've been in long enough. I'll get out. Hand me a towel before you go?”

Seven nodded and turned to get the towel for her. Kathryn stood and when Seven turned back around her eyes traveled Kathryn's wet body appreciatively. Kathryn felt her nipples harden under Seven's gaze. 

“...You should consume nutrition,” Seven said finally, handing her the towel. Kathryn nodded and Seven left the bathroom. 

Kathryn dried off with the towel, then brushed her hair out. She put on her pink satin nightgown, then pinned her combadge to it. When she walked out into the living area she found Seven sitting on the couch with two nutritional supplements. She smiled and sat down next to her. 

“Taste this,” Seven encouraged, handing her one of the cups. Kathryn accepted and looked into the cup. It was thick, white substance that resembled a vanilla milkshake but Kathryn doubted it would taste like one. Still, she took a cautious sip. 

“It tastes like coffee!” she exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. 

“I made that specifically for you,” Seven said with a small smile. 

“That is very thoughtful of you,” Kathryn said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “You know...cuddling isn't just for the bed.”

“Kathryn?”

“Put your arm around me,” she said and when Seven did so, Kathryn cuddled into her side. 

“I see,” Seven said, pleased. “This is very pleasant.”

“I'm glad you agree.”

They sat snuggled on the couch together, sipping their nutritional supplements. When Kathryn finished hers she set the cup on the coffee table and lay her head on Seven's chest. Seven put her arm around Kathryn's middle, cupping her breast lightly. Not squeezing or teasing her, just holding. 

Kathryn could hear the steady beating of Seven's heart in her chest. That and her even breathing lulled Kathryn. For a while she dozed against her chest. Eventually, Seven woke her. 

“You must go to bed and I must go and regenerate,” she said, sounding remorseful. 

“You're right,” Kathryn said with a sigh. “...If you're not busy in the morning, would you care to join me for breakfast?”

“Here or in the Mess Hall?”

“Here,” Kathryn said decisively. “That way I can stare at you as much as I want.”

“Acceptable,” Seven said and Kathryn kissed her lightly before getting up. 

“Goodnight, darling,” Kathryn said, following Seven to the door and giving her a goodnight kiss. 

“Goodnight, Kathryn. I will see you in the morning."


	10. Chapter 10

Kathryn slept the night away with her arms wrapped around the pillow that smelled like Seven. She slept fitfully and woke when the computer chimed at 05:00. She got up and stretched. She smiled as she put on a clean uniform. She was still a little sore but not near as bad as yesterday. 

She went into the living room and got a cup of coffee from the replicator. She drank half of it before replicating breakfast for two. By the time the door chimed she had the table laden with a breakfast spread worthy of her mother – scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, orange juice and coffee. Gretchen would be proud. 

She opened the door to find Seven standing there in her blue biosuit, her hair loose around her shoulders. Kathryn smiled broadly and stepped aside to let her in. 

“Good morning, Seven,” she said. “Your hair looks nice.”

“Good morning – darling,” Seven said, the term of endearment sounding awkward and stiff from her lips. Seven grimaced and Kathryn chuckled. 

“Don't worry about it, honey, you can just call me Kathryn,” she said, giving her a kiss. 

“I was attempting romance,” Seven said as Kathryn pulled out a chair for her. 

“It's a little early for romance – how about breakfast?”

“Acceptable,” Seven said with a brief smile. 

They were just digging into breakfast when the ship rocked and the lights flashed in a Red Alert. 

“Captain to the Bridge,” came Harry Kim's voice over the com. 

“Damn,” Kathryn swore and gave Seven an apologetic look but the Borg was already on her feet, pinning her hair back in an efficient twist. 

“Come, Captain,” Seven said urgently, pulling her chair out for her. Kathryn got to her feet, grabbed her cup of coffee, and she followed Seven out to the turbolift. 

When they arrived on the Bridge, Chakotay was already there.

“Report,” Kathryn commanded as she stepped off the turbolift. 

“Sorry to disturb you so early, Captain. Ensign Kim mistook engine trouble for weapons fire,” Chakotay said. 

“Stand down Red Alert,” Kathryn said, taking her seat. “What sort of engine trouble?”

“Let's just say the sooner we set down to let B'elanna make repairs the better,” he replied. 

“I will report to Astrometrics and continue the search,” Seven said before Kathryn could say anything.

“Do it,” she said with a nod, and watched Seven leave. 

Several hours passed and B'elanna and her team got the engines stabilized. It was nearing 11:00 when Seven hailed the captain. 

“Captain, please report to Astrometrics. I have found something.”

“On my way, Seven,” Kathryn said, on her feet as soon as she heard Seven's voice. “Chakotay you have the Bridge.”

A few minutes later she stepped through the doors of the Astrometrics Lab where Seven stood at her workstation. 

“Captain,” Seven said without turning around. “I have located a small L-class planet that would be suitable for our purposes.”

Seven displayed the image of a planet on the view screen and Kathryn made herself focus. It was a dusty-looking planet but there was at least one large body of water she could see. 

“It has an oxygen-argon rich atmosphere. It appears uninhabited but there are several ruins – at least 5,000 years old,” Seven reported.

“How far is it?” Kathryn asked, looking at Seven for the first time since entering the room. 

“Approximately 5 lightyears, Captain,” she answered, her blue eyes boring into the captain.  Kathryn felt herself flush and she swallowed. 

“...Transfer coordinates to the helm, then see if there's anything you can do to help B'elanna in Engineering.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“And Seven...I'm sorry about breakfast.”

“The ship comes first,” Seven said without looking up from her console. “...We could make it dinner instead?”

“Acceptable,” Kathryn said, lightly teasing. “I'll see you later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short update 
> 
> And good news - I signed the final version of my contract and am soon to be a published writer!


	11. Chapter 11

As it turned out, Kathryn was unable to keep her dinner date with Seven. When it was time for her shift to be over, Voyager had just entered an asteroid field that lay between them and the L-class planet. There was no way around it and navigating it would be dangerous. As much as she hated canceling on Seven, Kathryn knew her place was on the Bridge. 

It was 22:15 when Kathryn finally left the Bridge and headed to her quarters. The abandoned breakfast lay forgotten on the table. She cleared the table, dumping it all into the recycler. She hadn't eaten since lunch but she wasn't all that hungry now. 

“Computer, where's Seven of Nine?” she murmured as she shed her command tunic and draped it over the back of a chair. 

“Seven of Nine is in Cargo Bay 2,” the computer chimed. 

Kathryn sighed softly. 

_ Regenerating no doubt,  _ she thought with a twinge of regret.  _ Oh well. She's got the right idea. We both need rest before we reach this planet... _

Kathryn went to her bedroom, stripped off the rest of her uniform, and got into bed. She pulled the second pillow towards her. It still smelled of Seven but only faintly. 

_ Maybe it's for the best if we don't see each other so much. I already can't stop thinking about her. She's driving me to distraction and I can't afford to be distracted. I'm the captain. The ship needs me, the crew needs me...but what about what  _ I  _ need? _

Kathryn sighed heavily and hugged the pillow tighter. 

Kathryn became drowsily aware of something warm and soft against her back. She felt something wrap around her waist, pulling her close. She inhaled deeply, immediately recognizing the unique scent. 

“Seven,” she murmured, feeling her fingers slowly caressing her abdomen. 

“Unless there are other crew members who come crawling naked into your bed late at night?” Seven said, her breath hot on the back of Kathryn's neck. 

“No, you -...you  _ are  _ naked,” Kathryn said, realizing she was feeling Seven's silky skin against her back. Not only that but she could feel an intense, moist heat close and moving against her ass. Knowing there was only one place on Seven it could be coming from filled her with desire...and the knowledge that she  _ was  _ desired, wanted, maybe even loved by this beautiful woman...

“I wanted to feel you,” Seven said, her hot breath sending a shiver through Kathryn. “I am still highly susceptible to touch but I feel...”

She let out a soft whimper, still moving against Kathryn's backside. 

“Can I touch you?” Kathryn whispered. “Please?”

“No,” Seven said, softly but firmly. 

Her fingertips were still gliding across the skin of Kathryn's stomach, moving up to touch the swell of her breasts only to slip away teasingly. Her touch gradually became more intense, traveling downwards to brush lightly through the coarse auburn curls before moving back up to tease her breasts. 

Kathryn loved every sensation that coursed through her and the feeling of Seven's body against hers was intoxicating. When Seven pressed her sex against her once more, Kathryn moved back against her instinctively. The shuddering gasp the action drew from Seven's lips made Kathryn even wetter. 

Seven kissed the back of her neck. Her lips were warm and moist as she trailed kisses across her neck, and Kathryn felt goosebumps erupt all over her skin. Kathryn started to turn, wanting to taste her lips. 

“Stay,” Seven's voice said, soft but commanding. Kathryn felt her body obey and she lay still. 

Seven's hand swept across Kathryn's stomach to fully encompass one breast. Her slender fingers stroked and massaged the soft flesh, moving forward to tease her nipple, squeeze it lightly. The sensation was electric and Kathryn couldn't help but gasp. 

Seven took the hardened nipple between two fingers and squeezed it gently. She rolled it between her fingertips and Kathryn moaned. She repeated the action on the other breast and Kathryn moaned again in anticipation of more. 

She could feel the heat of Seven's sex still pressed firmly against her. She wanted to touch her, to feel more of her, but suddenly Seven's hand was moving away from her breasts, down to squeeze her mound. She was desperate for her touch and opened her thighs to let Seven caress her. Seven made no attempt to enter her, just stroked her. 

Kathryn let out a desperate whimper and she covered Seven's hand with her own. She pressed down to push Seven's fingers into her wetness. Finally she felt Seven's finger enter her, slipping easily inside. Seven pushed her finger in and out, agonizingly slowly, until she stopped abruptly. She pulled Kathryn towards her with her Borg hand. She rolled her onto her back and captured Kathryn's lips, her tongue delving deeply into her mouth as her fingers – three of them now – delved into her wet pussy. 

Kathryn couldn't help but reach for Seven's breasts, so close, wanting to feel them in the palm of her hand, wanting -

“No,” Seven said, moving out of her reach. 

“Please, Seven,” Kathryn begged wantonly. “Please, let me touch you, let me show you how much I love you.”

The admission of love came easily and Seven did not seem surprised by it. She leaned down to kiss Kathryn and brushed away a tear Kathryn hadn't realized she'd shed. 

“Be patient, Kathryn,” Seven said, kissing away a second tear. 

Then she moved down, straddling Kathryn's thigh as she sank three fingers into her again. Kathryn groaned at the sensation of being filled and she shifted her thigh pressing up against the wetness of Seven's sex. She heard Seven gasp softly, then felt her press down harder on her thigh. As she pumped her fingers in and out of Kathryn, Seven began to glide back and forth along her thigh in the same rhythm. 

Kathryn was close, so close, her body unable to hold off – and then Seven stopped abruptly. 

Kathryn let out a cry of loss and lifted her head to see Seven's face contorted in an expression of surprise and release. She let out a low groan and Kathryn felt a flood of wetness on her thigh. Seeing Seven come undone pushed her over the edge and an orgasm swept through Kathryn like a burning wildfire. 

When Seven collapsed on the bed beside her, Kathryn rolled onto her side. She started to take her into her arms, but hesitated. She didn't want to overstimulate her. Instead she just watched her. 

She was absolutely gorgeous, her face flushed as she tried to catch her breath. Her blonde hair was damp with sweat. Her large breasts heaved with each breath and a bead of sweat trickled down one breast. Kathryn wished she could kiss it away. She wondered what her skin would taste like, what her breasts would taste like if she could -

“Kathryn,” Seven exhaled, rolling onto her side and pulling her into an embrace. 

Kathryn molded into her embrace and kissed her shoulder. She felt a tremor go through the Borg. 

“Are you okay?” she murmured against Seven's skin. 

“I am...uncertain,” Seven said, her voice quivering. “My body feels...heavy. Tired. But it is not unpleasant.”

“Good,” Kathryn said, kissing her shoulder again. 

“I do not see how you survived seven consecutive orgasms, Kathryn,” she said with a weak smile. “I did not know it would feel so...strong.”

“You'll recover,” Kathryn assured her. “Just try to get some rest.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having fun with this one. More to come.
> 
>  
> 
> And thank you all for the congrats on my publishing contract! Couldnt have done it without y'alls support!


	12. Chapter 12

“Chakotay to the Captain.”

Kathryn groaned and blindly reached for her combadge. Instead, her hand came into contact with soft, warm flesh. Her eyes flew open and she saw one very naked Seven of Nine, asleep next to her. Smiling, Kathryn reached across the Borg to get her combadge of the nightstand. 

“Janeway here,” she said, dragging herself into a sitting position. 

“We've entered orbit around the L-class planet, Captain. I thought you'd want to be on the Bridge for the landing sequence,” Chakotay said over the combadge. 

“You're right, I do. I'll be there shortly. Janeway out,” she said, pressing the combadge to end the link. 

She gazed at Seven's still sleeping form. The conversation had not disturbed her in the least. Kathryn couldn't help but smile. She leaned forward to kiss Seven's bare shoulder and shook her gently. 

“Seven, wake up. I'm needed on the Bridge.”

Seven groaned and rolled over on her back. Her blue eyes opened and blinked several times. 

“Captain?” she said groggily, then corrected herself. “Kathryn. I was asleep?”

“Apparently so. For several hours I'd say.”

“I have never slept before, that I can remember. It is...disorienting,” Seven said, sitting up as Kathryn got up and started to collect her discarded uniform. 

“I wish I could let you stay and sleep, but we're about to set down on the planet and it'd be a bit odd if someone asked where you were,” Kathryn said, slipping on her tank top and the long-sleeved turtleneck over it. 

“I masked my bio signature and instructed the computer to report my location as Cargo Bay 2 and alert me to any queries,” Seven said, watching Kathryn dress. 

“Oh. Well, in that case, you're welcome to stay,” Kathryn said, sitting on the side of the bed to put her socks and boots on. 

“No, I should...should assist Lt. Torres. My head feels strange. My motor functions are delayed.”

“You'll feel better the more you wake up,” Kathryn assured her, hoping it were true.  _ No one malfunctions from an orgasm, do they? _

Seven got up and Kathryn followed her into the living room. She got her command tunic from the back of the chair and put it on while Seven got her biosuit – which was folded on the table – and put it on.

“Coffee, black,” Kathryn said to the replicator and glanced at Seven, who almost toppled over putting her boots on. “Make that two coffees.”

“Captain?” Seven said as Kathryn offered her one of the cups. 

“Drink this and try not to look so adorable,” Kathryn said fondly, brushing Seven's blonde hair back from her face. “I've got to go, I need to be on the Bridge. I...I'll see you later.”

Kathryn left her quarters quickly and stepped onto the turbolift. When the doors shut behind her, she exhaled slowly and slumped against the wall. 

_ I almost said 'I love you', _ she thought, taking a deep drink of her coffee, which she held in trembling hands.  _ I love you during...certain physical pursuits is one thing, but telling her flat  out...What if she doesn't feel the same? What if she scoffs, laughs at me? _

“Bridge,” she said aloud, realizing the lift had not moved. 

_ Do I really love her?  _ She thought as the lift began to move.  _ ...Yes. I feel things for her I've never felt for anyone. It's intense, it's amazing, it's... _

The doors opened and Kathryn straightened up. 

_It's time to focus, Captain_. 

She squared her shoulders and stepped off the turbolift. 


	13. Chapter 13

By 07:00 Kathryn sat at the head of the table in the conference room. They had landed safely on the planet beside a large ocean. Her senior staff filled the table, discussing repairs and plans for shore leave. B'elanna had requested access to all crew members with an Engineering grade of 2 or higher to assist with repairs. Kathryn granted her permission to use whoever she needed. 

“I can improve the efficiency of the EPS power distributors using Borg technology,” Seven said to B'elanna. 

“Actually, I need you to help me refit the driver coil assembly,” the half-Klingon said in a tone that indicated she clearly expected an argument. 

“Yes, Lieutenant,” Seven said, unfazed. 

B'elanna looked like someone had slapped her. 

“Well  you're  in a good mood,” she snorted. “I expected more of an argument.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Seven said coolly. 

Kathryn bit her tongue to keep from laughing. She knew  _ exactly  _ why Seven was in such a good mood. Even if she didn't look any different on the outside.

“I've set up a schedule for shore leave,” Chakotay said. “For everyone B'elanna doesn't need in Engineering. And once the maintenance is complete we can discuss shore leave for everyone else.”

When the meeting was over everyone left, except Chakotay who lingered to talk to the captain. 

“Would you like to explore the ruins with me after lunch?” he asked. 

Kathryn hesitated. 

“I should stay on the Bridge-” she began.

“Oh come on, Kathryn. There's nothing to be done on the Bridge. You deserve a break – we can take lunch and have a picnic,” he coaxed. Kathryn couldn't think of a good reason to say no. 

“That sounds lovely,” she said, forcing a smile. He smiled broadly back at her before turning to leave. 


	14. Chapter 14

Kathryn wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead as she followed Chakotay across a sandy hill. She looked back towards the ocean where Voyager sat, hull gleaming in the sunlight. Several dozen crew members were enjoying the water and the beach. Kathryn wished she were back with them, instead of following Chakotay on some damned expedition. 

“How hot do you think it is?” she said, pausing to take a drink from her canteen of water. 

“Seven of Nine said temperatures range from 31 to 38 degrees Celsius,” he replied. “Come on – the first set of ruins is right over the next hill.”

_ Seven of Nine,  _ Kathryn thought with a smile.  _ Talk about 'hot'...I wonder when I'll get to see her again. No doubt she'll be busy helping B'elanna with repairs for a while. ...I wonder when I'll get to touch her, if I'll ever be able to touch her without her being overwhelmed? I wonder what she'll taste like, if I'll even  _ like  _ doing  _ that _ ... God, how did I go from being adamantly  _ not gay  _ to wishing I could taste her? _

“Isn't it amazing?” Chakotay said, interrupting her thoughts. “These carvings must be thousands  of years old!”

Pushing thoughts of Seven from her mind, Kathryn joined Chakotay in examining the wall of a ruin. 

“They bear a striking resemblance to the Egyptian ruins in the Sinai Desert,” Chakotay said as they walked along a crumbling wall. “I wonder if there are any artifacts to be recovered?”

He pulled out a tricorder and began scanning. Kathryn sighed softly. Maintaining good relations with her first officer was important. She got out her own tricorder and joined him. 

They returned to the ship several hours later. Chakotay had a bag full of broken pottery and old tools he wanted to analyze. All Kathryn wanted was a cool shower, maybe a bath. She bade Chakotay goodbye and headed into her quarters. 

She stripped off her uniform, feeling grimy and tired. She dumped the clothes into the recycler and headed for the shower. When she got out she dressed comfortably in slacks and a red t-shirt. She knew Seven was still working with B'elanna so she found one of her Gothic novels to read to keep herself entertained. 

Several hours later her door chimed. 

“Come in,” she called, figuring it was Chakotay. The doors opened and Seven entered. She wore her blue biosuit still but it was dirty. Her face and hair were smudged with engine grease. 

“Look at you, you're a mess,” Kathryn said fondly. She closed her book and unfolded herself from her reading position. 

“Tom Paris said I am a 'regular grease monkey' although I do not know how primates relate to engine waste,” she said, quickly side-stepping Kathryn's attempt at a hug. “I do not wish to get you dirty. I came to invite you to dinner in the Mess Hall. B'elanna has the replicators offline, so Neelix's cooking is the only option.”

“I'd love to have dinner with you, Seven,” Kathryn said with a smile. “Would you like to use the sonic shower first?”

“I cannot – secondary systems are offline at the moment,” Seven explained. 

“Oh. Well, come on, I can help you clean your face off at least,” Kathryn said, taking her by the hand and leading her into the bathroom. She got the cloth she used to take her makeup off in the evenings, and scrubbed Seven's face with it. The blonde grimaced but held still while Kathryn cleaned her face and hair. 

“Any idea how long secondary systems will be offline?” Kathryn asked, setting the rag aside. 

“Several hours,” she replied. “I should change my biosuit. I have clean ones in the Cargo Bay.”

“We can stop by on the way to the Mess Hall. Come – no, wait a minute.”

She stood on tiptoes and kissed her, knowing she wouldn't be able to for a while. Seven responded eagerly to the kiss. She lifted Kathryn by the waist and placed her on the bathroom counter, maneuvering between her legs to kiss her hungrily. 

“We could skip dinner,” Seven said against her mouth. 

“Mm. Seven!” she protested with a throaty chuckle. “You're still covered in grease. And I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. Lunch with Chakotay was hours ago.”

“You had lunch with Commander Chakotay?” she asked, allowing Kathryn to slide down off the counter. 

“Yes, he insisted I explore the ruins with him. We had a picnic.”

“A picnic,” Seven repeated dispassionately.

“Yes. ...Are you jealous?” she asked, trying to read her facial expression. 

“No,” she scoffed. “I am not threatened by the Commander.”

“No?”

“Although I find monogamy to be an outdated and tiresome practice...I find solace in the fact that Chakotay had four years with you before I came aboard and the two of you never became intimate.  Even when you were forced to remain on the planet you named New Earth.”

“Wh- how do you-”

“You told me yourself it had been 4 years,” Seven said, sounding somewhat smug. Kathryn felt her face flush. Seven kissed her once more, then headed out of the bathroom. 

Kathryn followed Seven out of her quarters. They got onto the turbolift and went down to Cargo Bay 2. She followed Seven to where she had several biosuits hanging behind a privacy screen. There was no one around, so Kathryn took the pleasure of seeing Seven undress. 

“The blue one has always been my favorite,” Kathryn said as Seven stripped it off. “It matches your eyes.”

“I was unaware you had a preference,” Seven said, tossing the blue biosuit into the recycler. “...Do you have a second 'favorite'?”

“The silver one,” she answered without hesitation. 

“You have given this a great deal of consideration,” Seven commented, selecting the silver biosuit and putting it on. 

“No! Well, maybe a little,” she said sheepishly.

Seven gave her a quick kiss before they left the Cargo Bay and headed into the Mess Hall.

The Mess Hall was full of crew members eating dinner. Kathryn and Seven each got a bowl of Neelix's goulash then found a table in the corner of the room. They kept the conversation light, discussing the repairs for the most part, conscious of who might be listening. Kathryn kept her eyes on her bowl of food, worried she would be caught staring. Inwardly, Kathryn's mind was gnawing on Seven's earlier comment. 

_ She thinks monogamy is an archaic concept...Does that mean she wants to sleep with other people? _

She glanced at Seven, saw a smudge of grease on the side of her nose she'd missed. She was adorable, even as she grimaced at the taste of goulash. 

_I don't want anyone else_...

Seven looked up and caught her eye. The intensity of the stare made Kathryn feel flush. Suddenly the Mess Hall felt much too crowded and small. 

“Would you like to go play a game?” she found herself asking.

“A game?” Seven repeated. “The Holodecks are offline.”

“No, I know. I have an old chess board in my closet. Or maybe we could borrow Tuvok's Kal-Toh game.”

“Kal-Toh is a game of elementary spatial harmonics,” Seven said dismissively. “But I will play a game with you...Captain.”

The look in her eyes told Kathryn exactly what Seven had in mind and she felt herself grow wet. She ate the last few bites of her food quickly, not tasting it, and stood. 

“Let's go, Seven


	15. Chapter 15

If any part of Kathryn thought they might actually play chess, she was wrong. As soon as the doors of her quarters closed behind them Kathryn found herself pinned to the bulkhead. Seven kissed her ravenously, sliding her hands under her shirt to caress her skin. Kathryn's body wanted to give in to the kisses, give in to the touch she knew would drive her into delicious madness, but -

“Seven – mm – wait,” she said, breaking the kiss. “What you said earlier...about monogamy?”

Seven pulled back slightly to look at her. Her blue eyes were penetrating, her face unreadable, and Kathryn suddenly felt very foolish. She started to look away but Seven pulled one hand from under her shirt to cup her chin, making her look up at her. 

“You are the only one I have any desire to do this to,” she said firmly, then kissed her. 

Kathryn melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Seven's neck. She felt Seven's hands  slip around her waist, then down to grip her ass, squeezing it firmly. She lifted her suddenly and Kathryn expected to be carried to the bed. Instead Seven carried her to the armchair, which was closest. She sat and settled Kathryn on her lap.

Seven continued kissing her, letting her hands caress and squeeze her backside. Meanwhile, Kathryn's hands were on Seven, feeling her breasts through the fabric of her biosuit. She could feel her nipples becoming erect under her touch. She used her thumb to tease them until they were visible through the fabric. She pulled away from Seven's mouth to appreciate the view. Then, a little cautiously, she began to kiss Seven's face. She kissed the cool metal implant that adorned her left eye and she heard Seven emit a soft sigh that made her stomach flutter. She kissed the implant again, then traced the edge of it with her lips. She trailed kisses down her soft cheek, to her long slender, neck. Seven allowed this, even tilted her head back so Kathryn could have better access. 

She kissed and licked the sensitive skin of Seven's neck. The soft sighs and whimpers the blonde emit thrilled her. When she found her pulse point she sucked the skin there, nipping her lightly. Seven gasped loudly, her hands falling away from Kathryn. 

Then Seven did something that both surprised and thrilled her – she leaned forward and unzipped her biosuit. She peeled it away from her top half, revealing her gorgeous full breasts. It was Kathryn's turn to gasp and she looked up at Seven. 

“May I touch you?” she whispered reverently.

“Yes,” Seven answered softly. 

Kathryn took a shuddering breath in anticipation. She wasn't sure where to start. After a brief hesitation, she returned to kissing Seven's neck. Slowly, she kissed her way down Seven's neck and chest. She took her time, enjoying the sensation and scent of Seven's warm skin under her lips. She didn't go directly to her breasts, but took a detour from her collarbone along her shoulder, down her arm. She reached the metal implant on her bicep and traced it with her lips, then with her tongue. 

There was a faint metallic taste and a tingle of electricity on her tongue she wasn't sure was real or imagined. It was a pleasant sensation. Evidently Seven thought so too as she groaned softly, her hands gripping the arm rests. 

Kathryn took her time tracing the implant, memorizing it. Eventually she made her way back up her shoulder and finally to her soft breasts. She kissed her way along her breast to her stiff nipple. She flicked it with her tongue and Seven shuddered beneath her. She covered the nipple with her lips and sucked it into her mouth. Seven's hips bucked slightly and she arched her back, pushing her breast farther into Kathryn's mouth. 

Seven's nipples were truly hard now as Kathryn moved from one to the other, licking and sucking. She tried nipping gently, something she'd always liked, but what proved to be too much for Seven who let out a cry of protest. 

“I'm sorry,” Kathryn said quickly, soothing the nipple with the flat of her tongue. Seven tolerated the action but it was evident she was not fully enjoying it. Kathryn stopped and lifted her head to kiss her lips. 

“I am sorry, Kathryn,” Seven murmured against her lips. “The sensations are too overwhelming.”

“It's okay, darling,” Kathryn assured her, resting her forehead against Seven's. “You don't have to apologize. This is all still new to you. It's okay. I won't do anything you don't want me to do.”

Seven put her arms around Kathryn holding her close. She put her head on Kathryn's shoulder and nuzzled her neck. 

“Kathryn, I...”

Kathryn's heart stopped – was she going to say it? Seven pulled back to look at her. 

“...Let me take you to bed,” Seven said finally. She didn't wait for an answer but picked Kathryn up and carried her over her shoulder to the bedroom. Kathryn giggled – a sound she'd always disliked in others. When Seven set her down gently, she seemed to hesitate between putting her biosuit back on  or stripping it the rest of the way off. She did the latter, then pulled Kathryn to her to undress her. She kissed her, then swiftly pulled her shirt off over her head. She kissed her shoulder as she reached around her to unhook her bra. She kissed her collarbone as she pulled it off, then pushed Kathryn gently onto the bed and knelt before her. 

Seven looked up at her with lust in her eyes as she unbuttoned Kathryn's pants. Kathryn lifted herself slightly so Seven could slide her pants down, revealing her lack of underwear. 

“Your underclothes are missing,” Seven said teasingly, caressing her with just one finger.

“Well I'm not in uniform, I don't always-” She gasped softly as Seven slipped one finger between her folds. 

“You are very wet,” Seven murmured, her breath hot on Kathryn's inner thigh, causing her to shudder. Kathryn's hands found the back of Seven's head, wanting to press her face into her sex, wanting that wonderful feeling of Seven's mouth on her. She didn't want to rush her, however. She tangled her fingers in the blonde hair she loved so much, pulling it loose from its twist. 

Seven took the hint and delved her tongue into Kathryn's wetness. Kathryn felt Seven's tongue thrust its way into her pussy, fucking her deeply. Kathryn whimpered and squirmed under her mouth as Seven devoured her. Seven moved her attentions up to her clit, slithering across it in a way that made Kathryn cry out.

“Oh yes, Seven! Lick me, suck me, suck me hard!”

As resistant as the Borg woman could sometimes be, this time she obeyed. She answered Kathryn's cry, sucking her swollen clit into her mouth, biting down ever-so-gently. Kathryn let out a throaty moan and Seven made a pleased sound that reverberated through her clit, sending little shocks of pleasure through her. 

Then she felt two fingers enter her, swiftly finding her g-spot and stroking it. Kathryn arched into her touch. With her free hand Seven lifted one of Kathryn's thighs onto her shoulder. This allowed her to re-position her fingers and-

“ _ Fuck _ !” Kathryn exclaimed as one of Seven's fingers found her tighter opening, and pressed inside. Seven lifted her mouth from her clit a moment.

“Profane, Kathryn,” she said, licking her lips.

“ _ Seven _ ,” she pleaded, unable to say anything else. Seven gave her a quick smirk before returning her attentions – and her mouth – to fuck her. 

The sensation of Seven's fingers filling her, in combination with her mouth, sucking and nibbling her clit, was all-consuming. Kathryn could not contain the intense pleasure she felt. Whatever filter she'd had before was gone now as she begged Seven for more. 

“Oh yes, Seven, fuck me, faster! Yes, darling that it's, suck me harder, fuck me with your mouth – take me, make me cum, take everything. I'm going to –  _ yes _ ...”

Kathryn screamed as her orgasm overwhelmed her. Her muscles tensed, her body shook, and Seven held her steady, licking her, fucking her continuously until she collapsed back on the bed. Carefully, Seven withdrew her fingers and kissed her way up Kathryn's trembling body. She kissed her lips before moving her gently so she could lie down beside her. 

“Who knew you could be so  vulgar,  Kathryn?” Seven teased, kissing her again. “And loud.”

Kathryn felt her face flush in embarrassment. 

“I've never been loud like that...but then, no one's ever fucked me the way you do,” she said, face burning. 

“It pleases me,” Seven said smugly. 

“Maybe I should put a pillow over my face next time – I don't know how sound-proof these bulkheads are and I'd hate to have a security team rush in,” Kathryn said, grabbing a pillow and covering her blushing face with it. 

“No,” Seven said briskly, pulling the pillow away. “No pillow. It gives me great pleasure to hear you scream for me.”

“How many times have you told me pleasure is irrelevant?” she teased.

“...I was mistaken,” Seven admitted.

Kathryn smiled broadly and turned over to kiss her. Her hand unintentionally brushed her breast and Seven flinched. Kathryn withdrew her hand and kissed Seven's cheek.

“...Will I ever be able to touch you?” she murmured, letting her lips brush Seven's jaw. “Will I ever be able to bring you as much pleasure as you bring me?”

“You bring me as much pleasure as I can physically bear,” she whispered in response. “I do not know, for certain, but I think in time I will be able to enjoy more, however...”

Seven trailed off and Kathryn lifted her head to look at her. Her blue eyes were troubled.

“What is it, darling? Tell me,” Kathryn coaxed.

“What if I am never able to tolerate an...intimate touch? Would you...would you still care for me?”

Her voice was small and vulnerable, and it brought tears to Kathryn's eyes. 

“Oh Seven...” she whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Yes. Of course I will. I always will. Even if you wanted to stop this, here and now, and never touch each other again it wouldn't change the way I feel about you. Nothing will.”

Seven closed her eyes and nodded slowly. Kathryn wanted to tell her she loved her, to reassure her, but a part of her was still scared. Seven was still so new to humanity, Kathryn didn't want to confuse her. She understood sex and desire, there was no doubt about that, but could she understand love? Or was it still a foolish human trait to her, just a biochemical response? Kathryn just kissed her forehead again.


	16. Chapter 16

Kathryn stroked Seven's hair gently, finding it still clumped with oil. She kissed her forehead once more. 

“I imagine the showers are back online now if you want to get cleaned up,” she murmured. Seven nodded and kissed her lips before getting up to go shower. Kathryn watched her go into the bathroom then lay back down on the bed with a yawn. She heard the sonic shower start and she tried to stay awake until Seven came out but the sound lulled her into the embrace of sleep. 

She woke some time later to find she was cuddled against Seven's hip. Seven was sitting up against the headboard, working on a padd. 

“What are you doing, Seven?” she asked sleepily. 

“Working on my configurations for the EPS distributors,” she answered absently. 

“Naked in my bed?” Kathryn chuckled. 

“I find your presence to be...pleasant,” Seven said. “Does my presence disturb you?”

“No, darling. Quite the opposite in fact,” she said, pressing a tender kiss to her hip. “It is comforting.”

“Good,” Seven said and moved her left hand from the padd to stroke Kathryn's back lightly with metal-tipped fingers. 

“When do you have to go back to work in Engineering?” Kathryn asked. 

“In just a few hours. You should sleep, Kathryn.”

“When repairs are complete...would you like to spend time on the planet with me? We could explore the ruins or swim...maybe camp out, just the two of us.”

“Acceptable,” Seven said, still tapping on the padd, then she paused to look at her. “I would like that, Kathryn.”

Kathryn smiled at her, then settled back onto the bed beside her. She nuzzled the soft skin of Seven's hip, inhaling her scent, and closed her eyes. 

When Kathryn next woke, she was alone in her bed. Or so she thought, until she sat up and  found a single long-stemmed red rose on the bed next to her. 

“Seven,” she murmured aloud, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. She picked up the rose and sniffed it delicately. She heard a noise and looked to see a cup of hot coffee had appeared on her bedside table. 

Laughing delightedly, Kathryn picked up the mug and settled against the headboard to drink it. 

_ Coffee in bed. Bless you, Seven of Nine,  _ she thought fondly.  _ Oh how I love you...and I  _ should _ tell you. I've never been the one to say it first before. Mark, Justin, every man I've ever dated, they've always been the first to say 'I love you'...but this time, it will have to be me. _

_ And what will she say?  _ Kathryn took a deep drink of coffee and picked up the rose. She twirled it between thumb and forefinger thoughtfully. 

_ How am I going to tell you? _


	17. Chapter 17

Kathryn didn't see Seven for the rest of the day but every so often another red rose would appear, wherever she was. The message was simple and heart-warming. That Seven was thinking about her, even when they could not be together. 

When Kathryn went to bed that night, she half-expected Seven to appear. She didn't. Kathryn was restless that night. Without Seven to distract her, the absence of sound from the ship's engines was deafening. 

When she finally dragged herself out of bed the next morning, another flower had appeared on her pillow. Smiling, she placed it in a vase with the others. She decided to go and see how repairs were coming – and if she so happened to get a glimpse of her young lover in the process, well that would be just fine. She dressed in her uniform and headed down to Engineering. 

She found B'elanna in Engineering, doling out assignments to her team. Seven was nowhere to be seen. 

“How are repairs coming, Lieutenant?” she asked B'elanna. 

She listened to the half-Klingon tell her the extent of the repairs. She let her eyes wander around as she listened, looking for any sign of Seven. 

“-at this rate we should be done by this afternoon,” B'elanna finished. 

“That's excellent news, B'elanna. Has Seven been giving you any trouble?” she asked casually. 

“Actually, no. She's been great. We finished refitting the driver coil assembly yesterday. A few times it seemed like her mind was elsewhere but she told me she hadn't regenerated in a while. Apparently she worked through the night last night – she even lubricated the warp plasma manifolds.”

“Where is she now?” Kathryn inquired. 

“I told her to go regenerate and I think she actually listened to me,” B'elanna said, shaking her head slightly. “Not that I'm complaining, but what's gotten into her recently?”

“I don't know,” Kathryn lied smoothly. “Keep up the good work, B'elanna, and let me know if there's anything you need.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Kathryn made her way down to the Cargo Bay without encountering anyone else. Most of the crew were off ship, enjoying the planet's ocean. She entered the Cargo Bay swiftly and approached the dais that contained Seven's alcove. She gazed upon the sleeping figure of her love. Regenerating, Seven did not look nearly as relaxed as she did while sleeping but there was a serenity about her that made Kathryn feel calm. 

She stayed and watched her for a while. She wanted to wake her, but it would be selfish to do so. Seven required time to regenerate...and she needed to leave, before some crew member came through and caught her staring at the Borg. Before she left, Kathryn replicated a single rose and placed it at Seven's feet. 


	18. Chapter 18

Kathryn had lunch with Chakotay and told him of her plan to go camping with Seven.

“You and the Doctor are always harping on me to take a vacation, I think it'll be a good learning opportunity for Seven,” she explained. 

“You think she'll go for it?” he asked bemused. “It's not exactly an 'efficient activity'.”

“She's already agreed,” Kathryn said warmly. 

“How'd you pull that off?”

“Told her I'd go alone if she didn't go with me. So she's coming along for my protection,” she lied. “It'll be good for her. Get away from the ship for a while. Relax.”

“I'm not sure 'relax' is in the Borg vocabulary,” he quipped. “But I'm sure you know what's best. From the start you've seen things in Seven none of us have. Maybe this little camping trip of yours will help her with her humanity.”

“That's what I hope,” she said evenly, thinking to herself that none of them knew just how human Seven could be. 

After lunch Kathryn began gathering supplies for camping. When she returned to her quarters she packed a bag with two changes of clothes and a swimsuit. After some thought she replicated some things for Seven. 

She was at her desk, looking at a map of the planet on her computer, when a red rose appeared on her desk. She picked it up with a smile and lifted it to her nose. Just then her door chimed. 

“Come in,” she called. 

The doors opened and Seven entered wearing her blue biosuit, her hair perfect, her face unreadable until she saw the rose in Kathryn's hand and she smiled. Kathryn rose from her desk and approached her. 

“B'elanna said repairs are nearly complete and she no longer requires my assistance. She also seemed to know of our camping trip.”

“Chakotay has a big mouth. I told him you agreed to go along for 'my protection',” Kathryn said. 

“Everyone knows you do not require protection, Kathryn,” Seven said. Kathryn chuckled and stood on tiptoes to kiss her. 

“When are we leaving?” Seven inquired.

“I've been making preparations all day. I was just looking at the scans of the planet, trying to find a good spot to beam down. I don't want to be disturbed.”

“I believe I know a suitable spot,” Seven replied with a small smile. 

“Where?” Kathryn asked, walking back towards her desk. 

“It will be a surprise,” Seven said enigmatically.

“Oh? Well I have a few surprises for you, too. When would you like to leave?”

“I am ready when you are.”

“You don't have anything to pack?”

“I assume you have made arrangements for shelter and nutrition?”

“Yes.”

“Then I require nothing. Only you, Kathryn,” Seven said, pulling her back to her for another kiss. 

“For someone who claims to be in unskilled in romance, you sure can be romantic, Seven of Nine,” Kathryn murmured fondly.

“I am adapting,” she replied with a small smile.

“Quite well I might add,” Kathryn said, giving her a brief kiss. “Let me change out of my uniform, then we can go. It's hot as blazes on this planet – and I'd like to forget about being captain for a while.”

“I will make you forget you ever heard the word Starfleet,” Seven vowed in a low voice, sending a shiver of delight through the smaller woman. 

Kathryn stepped into the bedroom to change. Seven followed and leaned against the door frame  to watch as Kathryn stripped off her uniform.

“My flowers,” she said in a pleased tone, spotting the vase on the bedside table. 

“Yes, I put them in water so they'd last longer. It was a very sweet gesture, to send me a rose whenever you thought of me.”

“That is incorrect, Kathryn. If there was a flower for every moment I thought of you, the room would be filled. Possibly the whole ship...I am  always  thinking of you,” she said and Kathryn flushed with pleasure. “Fortunately, my mind can focus on multiple concepts at once. My relationship with you and my tendency to become infatuated with the thought of you has only decreased my efficiency by 8%.”

“Really? That bad?” Kathryn asked, slipping on a pair of khaki shorts.

“A worthwhile trade,” Seven assured. 

“I'm glad you think so,” Kathryn said, putting on a white bra and t-shirt. She sat on the edge of the bed and put her boots on. Sitting in that position she couldn't help but recall Seven kneeling before her two nights ago with her head between her thighs. 

“The blood vessels in your face have dilated in what is known as a blush. What are you thinking of Kathryn?” Seven asked, approaching her. Kathryn felt her blush deepen. 

“I was remembering you licking me two nights ago,” she admitted. “How your hair tickled my thighs as your tongue danced across my clit.”

Seven's pupils visibly dilated, and she knelt before Kathryn. Kathryn's breath caught and she thought Seven might be about to pull her pants off. Seven placed her hands on her thighs, then slid them down her legs. When she reached her feet, she finished tying Kathryn's boots for her then stood. 

“Come, Kathryn,” Seven said. Kathryn stood, feeling a little light-headed. She wondered how she could feel so turned on from such an innocent touch. 

Kathryn grabbed the backpack she'd filled with clothes and Seven followed her to Transporter Room 2. There was no one working the transporter since they were docked planet side. Kathryn had stowed containers of supplies in there earlier. She moved them onto the Transporter Pad while Seven input a set of coordinates on the console. 

“Ready?” she asked as she joined Kathryn on the transporter pad. Kathryn nodded and Seven took her hand. 

“Computer, initiate transport,” Seven said, then the whir of the Transporter took them away.

They appeared on the edge of the water with all of their supplies. Kathryn looked around curiously. 

“Seven...is this an island?” she inquired.

“Indeed.”

“You are brilliant,” Kathryn said, pulling her close for a kiss. “Absolutely brilliant.”

“I know,” Seven said, pleased. “We will not be disturbed here. We are from Voyager and the crew.”

“There's even a few trees here. We can gather wood and have a campfire – it will be dark before too long. Help me set up the tent and then we can gather wood for a fire.”

Seven did not let go of her hand and pulled her back to her. 

“You are not in command here, Kathryn,” she reminded her. “There is something else I would rather do first, specifically...”

Seven kissed her hungrily, snaking her arms around her and up under the back of her shirt. 

“The tent -” Kathryn protested weakly, her body already consumed with desire. 

“It can wait,” Seven said firmly, and resumed kissing her. 

_ Fuck it, _ Kathryn thought and let Seven take over. 


	19. Chapter 19

Seven made quick work of the t-shirt and bra, tossing them unceremoniously onto the sand. Still  kissing her, she opened the button of Kathryn's shorts with one hand and tugged on them until they too fell in the sand. 

Kathryn felt Seven's hand slip down the front of her underwear. She felt her fingers in her slit, felt her move her hand down and slide a finger inside of her. 

“Oooo...” she whimpered, feeling Seven's fingers pushing in and out of her wetness. 

Seven dropped to her knees suddenly and pulled down her underwear. Kathryn gasped softly, realizing she was totally naked and exposed on the beach. 

“Lie down,” Seven said, her voice low and commanding. “I want to taste you, to  _ fuck  _ you. I want to make you _cum_ for me.”

Kathryn felt herself grow wetter at the profanity from Seven's sweet lips. She felt her wetness start to drip down her thighs and she obeyed. She lay down on the hot sand in front of Seven. Seven leaned down to kiss Kathryn's breasts, sliding one hand between her legs as she did. Gently she circled Kathryn's clit, driving her passions higher, then slipped two fingers into her. 

Seven's fingers seemed to fill her totally as she located her g-spot and began to stroke it. Kathryn was whimpering and moaning as Seven moved down her body, placing little kisses on her skin all the way down. When she finally reached Kathryn's pussy she parted the folds deftly with her tongue and sucked her clitoris into mouth. The effect on Kathryn's body was instantaneous. Every nerve tingled and throbbed until she exploded with a cry, her body shaking, her hands grasping at the ground. 

When she collapsed limply in the sand, Seven moved up her body to kiss her. She smiled down at her, her blue eyes matching the sky behind her head. 

“Come,” Seven said, kissing her once more, then helping her to her feet. 

Seven brushed the sand from Kathryn's body with a smile, then handed her her clothes. 

“Thank you,” Kathryn said, feeling flushed and happy. “I needed that.”

“I know. I could smell your arousal in your quarters. Waiting was...difficult.”

“You could smell me?” Kathryn repeated, definitely blushing now.

“My senses are enhanced by Borg technology,” Seven explained. “I can see more, hear more, smell more than most humans. ...Do not be embarrassed, Kathryn. I like your scent.”

Seven pulled her back for another kiss and Kathryn could taste herself on her lips. 

“We should set up the tent now. It will be dark soon,” Kathryn murmured. 

“I can erect the tent while you acquire wood. It would be most efficient to split the duties.”

“Alright,” Kathryn agreed. “The tent's in there. Don't set it too close to the water, we don't know how far the tide comes in.”

“Kathryn,” Seven said with a hint of amusement. “Stop giving orders.”

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly, giving her quick smile. “I'll go get the wood.”

Several minutes passed and Kathryn had an arm full of dry wood when she looked back towards the beach and saw standing before a mess of pole and fabric, frowning. Seeming to sense her gaze, Seven looked up. 

“Perhaps it would be more efficient if we switched tasks,” Seven said and Kathryn chuckled. 

“Whatever you say, darling,” she said, putting the wood she'd gathered down next to the tent. 

When Seven returned with an armful of wood, Kathryn had the tent set up and was putting the supplies inside. 

“How did you do that?” Seven asked. 

“Years of practice. My father used to take us camping when I was a kid,” she replied. “I aced the Starfleet survival training.”

“I get the feeling you 'aced' all of your Starfleet classes,” Seven said with a smile. 

“Well not  _everything_ –  temporal mechanics always gave me a headache,” she said lightly. 

As the sun set, Kathryn spread a blanket out beside the fire Seven had built. She got one of the stasis containers of food and sat down on the blanket. 

“Come sit with me and let's watch the sunset,” Kathryn encouraged. Seven sat a little  awkwardly but she smiled at Kathryn. 

“What is that?” Seven inquired, looking at the stasis container. 

“Just sandwiches and sweet tea. Nothing too fancy. I have a bottle of wine as well,” she said, opening the container. 

They ate together, watching the sun dip below the horizon. When it vanished completely, stars appeared and Kathryn lay back on the blanket to look up at them. Seven remained sitting a moment longer, then lay down beside her. 

“Aren't the stars beautiful?” Kathryn said with a content sigh. 

When Seven didn't respond, Kathryn looked over to see she wasn't looking at the sky but was gazing at her. 

“I have seen millions of stars, Kathryn,” Seven said dismissively. “I would rather look at you.”

Kathryn blushed and rolled onto her side to face Seven. 

“I have to tell you something, Seven,” she said softly. 

“You wish to return to the ship?” she asked stoically. 

“No! No, not at all,” Kathryn said adamantly. She lifted her head to study Seven's face. Seven averted her eyes and it occurred to Kathryn that Borg or not, Seven was just as prone to anxiety as anyone. She just hit it behind her stoicism. Kathryn leaned over and kissed her until she looked back at her. Gray eyes met blue and Kathryn smiled. 

“Seven...I have compelling reason to believe that the impeccable design of your body, the near-perfect spatial property of your face, and the mathematical quality of the curve of your smile are major contributing factors to the malfunction of my hormonal system, leading it to secrete increased amounts of dopamine, serotonin, cortisol, and phenylethylamine,” she said evenly. 

Seven's blue eyes blinked at her slowly. 

“Are you saying...you think I am beautiful and you ...love me?” Seven asked slowly. 

“That's what I said, isn't it?” Kathryn asked coyly. “...I love you, Seven of Nine.”

For a while, Seven didn't say anything and Kathryn's heart pounded painfully in her chest. 

“I love you, too, Kathryn,” Seven said quietly. “And...I know it is illogical, but it feels like more than a biochemical response.”

Seven placed a hand on her chest, over her heart, as if to make her point. Kathryn felt tears well in her eyes and she leaned over to kiss her again, covering Seven's hand with hers. 

“It's supposed to,” she whispered tenderly. 

“You're crying. I did not mean to upset you.”

“I'm not upset, Seven. There's good crying and there's bad crying.”

“Good crying?” Seven repeated.

“Yes. I'm crying because I'm happy. Happy that you love me, happy that you  can  love me, that this isn't just a...a social experiment for you.”

“It is not, Kathryn. I love you.”

“I'm sorry,” Kathryn said, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. “Starship captains aren't supposed to cry.”

“You are not a captain right now. You are my...girlfriend...that means you cannot always be my captain.”

“I think I can manage that,” Kathryn said with a watery smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to leave y'all hanging yesterday. My subunit got me sick. Hard to write sexy when I have a cold! Lol


	20. Chapter 20

They lay cuddled together on the blanket until the fire had died down low. The night air was a little cool but not uncomfortably so. 

“Do you want to go inside the tent?” Seven murmured, her lips tracing the curve of Kathryn's ear. 

“I suppose so,” she said, sitting up and stretching. “I want to rinse off in the water real quick, I  still have a little sand – everywhere. You can see in the dark right?”

“More or less.”

“Will you keep an eye out and make sure I don't get snatched by a sea monster or something?”

“There are no creatures on this planet large enough to 'snatch' you...but perhaps I should join you in the water to ensure your safety?” Seven said and started to unzip her biosuit. Delighted, Kathryn stripped naked and waded into the ocean. 

The water was still warm from the intense sunlight and it felt wonderful. The waves weren't strong at all, they lapped gently at her. When she was waist-deep in the water, she looked back at Seven. She was a vision of beauty in the moonlight with her blonde hair falling in waves around her shoulders. Her pale skin seemed to glow as she followed Kathryn into the water. A look of surprise came over her delicate features, then she smiled. 

“I do not recall ever having submerged myself in water before,” she said as she approached. “I now see why you enjoy baths.”

“It's wonderful, isn't it?” Kathryn asked, then leaned back in the water to rinse the sand from her hair. She watched Seven mimic the action, then relax into a floating position. 

“It is as if I am weightless,” she said with a tone of wonder. 

Kathryn waded to Seven's side, enamored with the way her blonde hair spread around her. After a moment, Seven stood and pulled Kathryn flush against her body to kiss her. Their wet, naked bodies pressed together felt extremely erotic and Kathryn moaned into the kiss. Seven reached between them and squeezed Kathryn's breasts. Her nipples were hard from Seven's touch and the cool night air. Seven's fingers found her nipples and pinched them, drawing a ragged gasp from her lips. 

“More, please,” Kathryn moaned. 

Seven obliged, pinching, tugging and rolling her nipples with her fingers, all while leading her deeper into the water. Kathryn didn't realize what she was doing until her feet could no longer touch the bottom. She wrapped her legs around Seven's waist, putting her arms around her neck for support. Seven let out a groan of approval and lowered her head to suck on Kathryn's breasts. Kathryn moaned with pleasure and threaded her fingers through Seven's wet hair. 

Seven slipped her hand down between Kathryn's legs and brought her fingers to her clit. She circled her clit with her fingers and Kathryn arched up to her, rubbing their breasts together. 

“Fuck,  Seven,  I love you,” she whimpered, loving the slick feeling of their bodies against one another in the water. “I love you, I love you,  please ...”

Seven took Kathryn's nipple back into her mouth and plunged her fingers inside her. Kathryn moaned loudly, clinging tight to Seven as she pumped her fingers inside of her. She was close, so close. The combination of hard sucking of her nipples and Seven's long fingers, fucking her so deep, pushing her rapidly towards the edge. 

“ Fuck,  Seven, oh yes – that's it! Yes!”

Her body stiffened as she came hard and Seven held her aloft in the water. She clung to Seven, her body trembling as her orgasm subsided. 

“Oh, I love you,” Kathryn whispered. 

Seven was still kissing her, her chest, her shoulder, her neck. 

“Kathryn,” she murmured, her breath hot against her skin. “Kathryn, I want you to touch me.”

Kathryn gasped softly and pulled back to look at her. 

“Are you sure? I don't want you to think you  _ have  _ to, just because I-”

“Kathryn, I  _ need _ you to touch me.  _ Now _ ,” Seven said urgently, carrying her back towards shore. 

She kept one arm around Kathryn to carry her and with her free hand she grabbed one of Kathryn's hands, pushing it urgently between her legs. 

“Wait – the tent, Seven. I want to do this right,” Kathryn said softly. 

With a quick nod, Seven released her, letting her down as they reached the shore. Kathryn took her hand and led her across the still-warm sand into the tent. Once inside, Kathryn kissed her, then led  her down onto a sleeping bag.

Kathryn ran her hands down Seven's sides, over her hips and the metal band of an implant, to her thighs. 

“You'll tell me if you want to stop, if it gets to be too much?” Kathryn murmured. 

“Yes. Kathryn,  _ please _ ,” Seven said wantonly. 

Cautiously, Kathryn ran her hands up the inside of Seven's smooth thighs. Slowly she reached the small smooth lips surrounding her swollen clit. Kathryn ran her fingers up and down her slit, which was wet, and not just from sea water. She circled Seven's clit, which made her gasp softly. 

Kathryn became bolder and she slid her index finger between her lips and into her warm, wet opening. A breathless groan escaped Seven's lips. Encouraged by the sound, Kathryn slowly began sliding her finger in and out, until curiosity took over and she had to taste her. Finally, she did what she had been thinking of doing for the last week or so. 

She kissed her just above her clit, then slowly ran her tongue down one smooth lip and up the other. She could taste the salt of the seawater and something else that was so purely Seven. It was not an unpleasant taste at all and she repeated the action. She felt Seven's body give an involuntary shudder and she began to stroke her clit with her tongue, quickening her pace with her finger. 

Kathryn glanced up to see Seven's head flung back, her eyes closed. She sucked her clit into her mouth, dragging a moan from Seven's parted lips. When she began to writhe beneath her, Kathryn parted her lower lips with her fingers, eager to taste her deeper. Seven wrapped her soft thighs around Kathryn's neck and her whole body began to quiver. Her moans grew louder and Kathryn felt her body tighten. A sudden spurt of sweet, sticky fluid met her lips and tongue. Kathryn lapped it up eagerly, savoring the taste. 

_To think I was worried I wouldn't like this_ , she thought as she finished cleaning Seven with her tongue. 

She lifted her head from between her thighs and looked up at her. Her chest was heaving, her face heavily flushed, and tears streaked from beneath her closed eyelids. 

“Are you okay?” Kathryn asked, alarmed. 

“Yes,” Seven gasped. “Good crying.”

“Oh darling,” she murmured, moving up beside her to kiss her tears away. She gathered Seven in her arms and held her close while her breathing returned to normal. Finally Seven opened her eyes, her blue eyes full of wonder. 

“Thank you, Kathryn,” she whispered, kissing her sweetly. 

“What changed? I've barely been able to touch you before and now...”

“Less distractions. It is quiet here, just the sound of the waves and in the water I felt...weightless. Free. Thank you.”

“No, Seven. Thank  you .”

“For what?”

“For making me love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and commenting!  
> I'm not sure if this is the end or not, or what should happen next if it's not the end. Thoughts?


	21. Chapter 21

Kathryn woke late the next morning laying naked in Seven's embrace. They'd made love several times throughout the night and Kathryn felt wonderfully sore. She rolled over in Seven's arms to find the blonde gazing at her with a soft expression on her face. 

“Good morning, beautiful,” Kathryn said and Seven lowered her head to kiss her. “Did you get any sleep?”

“A few hours,” Seven answered, kissing her again. “I much preferred watching you sleep.”

Smiling, Kathryn sat up and stretched. 

“Why don't we go rinse off in the water then we can have lunch? Sound good?”

“Acceptable.”

They crawled out of the tent into the bright sunlight. Kathryn stood blinking a moment as her eyes adjusted. Feeling exposed, she crossed her arms over her chest. Seven quirked her ocular implant, then took her hand, pulling it away from her chest. 

“There is no one to see us,” Seven assured her. “Come, Kathryn.”

Kathryn nodded and allowed Seven to lead her into the warm ocean water. They rinsed off, enjoying the feeling of the water on their naked bodies. When they waded out of the water, Kathryn gave Seven a quick kiss. 

“I know there's no one around but I'm still going to put some clothes on – I don't want to get sunburn on my butt. Imagine having to explain  _ that  _ to the Doctor!” she said with a laugh. 

Seven nodded and began to pick up their scattered clothes from the night before. 

“I've got a change of clothes in my bag – oh I've got something for you too!”

“For me?” Seven asked. 

“Yeah, hang on,” she said, ducking into the tent. She came back a moment later with jean shorts and a t-shirt for herself, an a strappy red sundress for Seven. 

“Put this on,” Kathryn encouraged. 

“If that is what you desire,” Seven said reluctantly, accepting the garment. 

Kathryn put on her shorts and t-shirt, then looked up to see Seven tugging the edges of the dress. It came down to her mid-thigh. It was beautiful, with a low-cut v-neck that showed off the tops of her pale breasts. 

“Wow,” Kathryn said breathlessly, drinking her in. “You're gorgeous.”

Seven's cheeks flushed faintly pink and she smiled. Kathryn gathered her in her arms and stood on tiptoe to kiss her. 

“We're going to have a wonderful vacation, darling,” she murmured. 

Kathryn and Seven spent the next two days on the island together, enjoying each others company as well as their bodies. When it came time for them to return to the ship, they packed their things in somber silence. 

“I know it is illogical, but...I wish we did not have to return to Voyager,” Seven said with a soft sigh. 

She was wearing a light blue summer dress that Kathryn had packed for her. Her hair was loose but she pinned it up now as they waited to be beamed back to the ship. 

“I know what you mean,” Kathryn said, giving her a kiss. “It's been nice.”

“I have enjoyed spending this time with you. Being able to kiss you, touch you whenever I want...” Seven trailed her fingers up under the hem of Kathryn's t-shirt to caress her spine. 

“It'll be okay, honey. We'll still get to spend time together off duty.”

“Chakotay to the Captain,” came the commander's voice over the combadge. “Are you and Seven ready to beam back?”

“Just a moment, Commander,” Kathryn said as Seven withdrew her hand and took a step back. Seven put her hands behind her back in her at-attention stance. 

“I am ready, Captain,” she said stoically. Kathryn stepped forward and kissed her cheek. 

“I love you,” she whispered, then stepped back. “Okay, Chakotay, we're ready. Two to beam out.”

The transporter beam engulfed them and a moment later they were back on the ship. Chakotay stood by the transporter pad. 

“Captain,” he greeted. “How was your vacation?”

“It was wonderful, Commander. Thank you,” she said, stepping off the pad. 

“We're ready to lift off whenever you are, Captain,” Chakotay said. 

Kathryn was silent a moment, then she took Seven's hand, lacing their fingers together. 

“We're going to get cleaned up in my quarters, then we'll join you on the Bridge,” Kathryn said  confidently. 

Chakotay and the ensign running the transporter stared wide-eyed at their clasped hands. 

“Uh, oh, o-okay,” Chakotay stammered. 

Kathryn squeezed Seven's hand slightly and led her out of the room. 

“Kathryn,” Seven said as they stepped onto the turbolift, still holding hands. “Why did you do that?”

“Gossip spreads like wildfire on this ship and I want everyone to know. I'm not ashamed of loving you, Seven,” she said, giving her a quick kiss. “I'm not going to hide anymore or try to deny it.”

Seven gazed down at her with an expression full of love, and she smiled. 

“Let's take a shower together and then we can get this ship back in space,” Kathryn said. 

“Acceptable.”


	22. Chapter 22

EPILOGUE

They stepped onto the turbolift half an hour later. Kathryn wore her command uniform and Seven wore a freshly replicated blue biosuit, her hair neatly pinned. 

“We still have to maintain a sense of decorum when we're on duty,” Kathryn said as the lift began to move. “We have to remain professional.”

“Of course...Captain,” Seven said with a playful smile. “So I should not tell you...how much I desire to press you against the wall of the turbolift and...”

Seven took her by the waist and pressed her back against the wall. Kathryn let out a soft moan as Seven's mouth sought hers and claimed it. She responded eagerly, instantly aroused despite their brief rendezvous in the shower. 

The doors to the lift opened and Kathryn heard a gasp. Seven released her and she saw all eyes were on them. Chakotay looked amused, Tom Paris was grinning ear-to-ear, and Harry Kim looked as if he might faint. Kathryn cleared her throat and stepped off the lift. 

“Take your station, Seven,” she said as everyone quickly looked away.

“Yes, Captain,” Seven said, approaching the sensor station. 

“Everyone ready?” Kathryn asked, taking her seat. “Mr Paris – take us up.”

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it everyone! Happy Valentine's Day! I'm gonna go back to trying to get over the flu (again).


End file.
